Valentine's Cupid and True Love

You know Cupid. That naked, chubby, smiling cherub who shoots his magic arrows at unsuspecting men and women to make them fall in love. He is a busy little match-maker whose image appears on many Valentine's Day cards. Now, I do not believe in an actual Cupid any more than I believe in the reality of Greek gods, but I do believe in the genuineness of love. True love. Love that equates with service and sacrifices made over time. What is this kind of love? I'll let Derian answer that question for you as he answered it for Eena in the book, Eena, The Return of a Queen. I think he got it spot on.

“Love is so much more than an emotion. True love, Eena, is something that develops over time. It’s not the initial infatuation nor the shivers and butterflies that take your breath away when you’re first attracted to someone. Those things are nice, but they are barely the beginning of what could become true love."

She shook her head. “I don’t quite follow.”

The captain inched closer, fixing her with the sincerest of gazes. His hands cupped as if he were holding his very heart in them.

“True love is a developed and intense appreciation for someone. It’s that perfect awareness you’re finally whole when she’s with you, and that hollow incompleteness you suffer when she’s gone. True love takes time. It’s an earned comfort that tells you she’ll be right there beside you no matter what you do, not necessarily happy with your every action, but faithful to you just the same. Love is knowing someone so deeply, understanding her so completely, you can finish her thoughts without hesitation, confident in reading her face, her body, even her slightest gesture means something to you. Love is years of devotion, sacrifice, commitment, loyalty, trust, faith, and friendship all wrapped up as one. True love does more than cause your heart to flutter. It upholds your heart when the infatuation no longer makes it flutter.”

Loving You, Valentine

In the spirit of Valentine's Day I've put together my own written collection on LOVE. I hope you enjoy.

"Because," said a boy.
"Because why?" asked a young girl.
"Because I love you."
— Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year


"You are the one star I wish upon nightly, praying your glory will fall from the heavens and land in my undeserving arms." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year

"Though I love you to the core of my being, so thoroughly that every cell comprising me aches to be near you, I must accept that we can never be together. For our existence parallels the sun and the moon—a temptation in constant, beautiful view, yet if the sun were ever to kiss the moon it would devour the heavenly orb whole. Oh, my darling, if only I were the moon! Then I would dare taste your lips and be happy for my last and final joy! But alas, I am the sun, and I will not venture to destroy the one I love." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year

"True love takes time. It’s an earned comfort that tells you she’ll be right there beside you no matter what you do, not necessarily happy with your every action, but faithful to you just the same." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen (the Harrowbethian Saga #2)

"I'm not saying that I think one man is better than the other. I'm not saying that either is kinder or wiser or more ambitious, more thoughtful, confident, or able. But the fact is that when I'm with the one, comfort settles into my bones. I feel calm around him, as if the sun is smiling down on me and the world has suddenly become a sweet, safe place to be. I feel good about life―about myself. And it's hard not to want to be near someone who, just by their very nature, makes you feel that way." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year

"Be loved for who you are, for everything that constitutes you. Be loved for your core beliefs, your strengths and weaknesses, your admirable traits and troublesome baggage. Be loved for you, because anything less is not love at all." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year

"I love you sounds best spoken in quiet acts of kindness." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year

"I had the most beautiful dream, and then I fell asleep in your arms and my dream turned lovelier still." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year

"He was everything I needed because his entire character had been molded by my deepest wants and desires. He was my rock when I cried, my playmate when I laughed, and my hero when I needed to imagine that one existed for me." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher

"Prove that you love me through a lingering gaze and never losing that twinkle of adoration in your eyes." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year

"My love for you reaches beyond the borders of continents, so vast in scope that I would cross oceans to be with you."
"Yes, but does that same love penetrate so deep as to dare thee to sink to the oceans' depths to find me?"
— Richelle E. Goodrich, My Aquarius

"To have a caring and committed heart toward someone—a heart so firm in its devotion as to sooner stop beating than neglect the object of its desire despite the person's state of health, appearance, reputation, finances, troubles, or challenges—that, dear world, is love. It is a rare find." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year

"The most difficult challenge an honest man will ever face is having to choose between duty and love. One creates a man of honorable character―a life worth dying for. The other creates a vulnerable soul that madly yearns for either death or immortality." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen (the Harrowbethian Saga #2)

"Love is an afternoon of fishing when I'd sooner be at the ballet. Love is eating burnt toast and lumpy graving with a big smile. Love is hearing the words 'You're beautiful' as I fail to squeeze into my fat jeans. Love is refusing to bring up the past, even if doing so would be a slam dunk to prove your point. Love is your hand wiping away my tears, trying to erase streaks of mascara. Love is the warm hug that extinguishes an argument. Love is a humbly-uttered apology, even if not at fault. Love is easy to recognize but so hard to define; however, I think it boils down to this... Love is caring so much about the feelings of someone else, you sacrifice whatever it takes to help him or her feel better. In other words, love is my heart being sensitive to yours." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year

"Love is years of devotion, sacrifice, commitment, loyalty, trust, faith, and friendship all wrapped up in one. True love does more than cause your heart to flutter. It upholds your heart when the infatuation no longer makes it flutter." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen (the Harrowbethian Saga #2)

"When you love someone, you don’t care that she ate your sandwich. You only hope she found it delicious." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year

"True love is a developed and intense appreciation for someone. It’s that perfect awareness that you are finally whole when she’s with you, and that hollow incompleteness you suffer when she’s gone." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Eena, The Return of a Queen (the Harrowbethian Saga #2)

"I believe in love―a kind, selfless, unending devotion. I believe it is rare." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year

"To the romantic soul, the rituals of Valentine's Day echo every day of the year." — Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year

A Valentine Fairytale

Once upon a time there was a king and a queen though not of the same kingdom.  They were of different lands and ruled over very different subjects, possessing unique talents and single hearts.

This valiant king and beautiful queen one day found themselves treading the same route which happened to meander through both their lands.  Upon this chance meeting they detected in one another distinctive, worthy qualities, both intriguing and impressive enough to cause them to want to cross paths again.

Letters were exchanged from his kingdom to hers, delivered in haste.  For even the heralds could see what a marvelous thing it might be to join these two great empires.  And so, through written exchanges, it was agreed that this king would escort the queen in his grand, red carriage to view the celebrated, annual light festival in her land—an experience enjoyed after sunset.

On the night of the event, they rode along for hours, talking, laughing and smiling frequently at one another.  Their hearts beat in rhythm, pattering with pleasure and tenderness, one toward the other.  Jolly tunes played over the air, enhancing their bliss.  The king shared pictures of his royal family and subjects, portraits that pleased the beautiful queen.  And upon this enchanted night, surrounded by twinkling lights, their hearts swelled and the two fell in love.

It was not long before their kingdoms joined; a merger solidified through marriage.  It was a union that made them both forever good and rich.

To say that they lived happily ever after would be in error, because their days consisted of continual and unnumbered trials.  There were some periods that sparkled and warmed their souls like the festive lights under which this king and queen fell spellbound in love.  Other times proved darker, but not without growth and gain.  The promise was that through enduring these trials together—remaining a forever united kingdom in laughter, sorrow, hardship, and love—their uniquely beating hearts would eventually, someday, meld as one. 

The Valentine is one heart shared by two.  

   ~Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes 

      Copyright 2015 Richelle E. Goodrich