The Constancy of Love

There has been an ongoing discussion between me and some of my friends about the nature of love. Exactly, what is love? We have each had different responses and ideas. Last night, I watched the Notebook. It is a very good movie. In it, I found some help in my search for what love is. If you have not seen the movie and would not like any spoiler, STOP READING. The movie follows the love story of Noah and Ali. They meet each other at the beginning of the summer and fall deeply in love. The beginning of their love is passionate, romantic, and emotional. The butterflies of love. Their summer of love shows the emotional and romantic side of love. They are head over heels in love with each other. But this side of love is not the point of the movie. The movie is shown in flashbacks as Noah reads their love story to Ali, who has dementia and does not remember who he is. Noah loves her so much that it would hurt him to not be near her even though she does not remember him. He is committed to her. His love is constant it does not fade or go away simply because she has no recollection of who he is. He stays by her side every day reading her their story in hopes that she will remember and return to him, if only for a little while. I was blown away by the depth of commitment this movie portrays. When I think of True Love, I think of the constancy of love. The choice, the commitment to a person.