A True Love Story

"So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday." (The Notebook, 2004).

Chatting over lunch one day, a friend shared how she spent the Christmas holidays with her 87 year-old Grandfather in law. It had been three years since his wife of over 60 years had passed away. In life he loved and adored her and in death he still spoke of her as if it was the first day that he fell in love. His eyes lit up, his voice was youthful and exciting when he spoke of her laugh and quirkiness, and the way that he gestured, all showed how much he still loved her.

Years ago, I remember attending a party where he and his wife were in attendance. How sweet they were. Through the many years of marriage, they still managed to whisper sweet somethings into each other's ear, share a smile, and at times a gentle kiss. They would giggle while watching their great grandchildren play. I was probably in my early 20s and at that time with my first love, my husband today. I remember thinking, "I hope that I grow up to be just like them."

What was it that made them have such a strong and happy marriage?

My friend with tears in her eyes shared how they celebrated Christmas and how he reminisced about her, all the moments that they shared, and how she was always with him. Even not being there with my friend and her family, I too felt emotional because love is so special and the sad thing is that in this day and age, it seems like it is not as valuable, comes with a price, and is not long lasting. Having a love like theirs may be the secret to happiness in marriages.

With a love story like theirs, what makes long-term marriages successful? According to the American Psychological Association's article Happy Couples: How to keep your relationship healthy, 40% of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. I was so driven by my friend's story that I wanted to find out from others who were married for more than 15 years, "What makes your marriage successful?" I decided to survey over 25 marriages to see the common thread in their successful and happy marriages. What I found seems simple, however, like many of the couples reported it requires dedication, consistency, and you must work at it. I have taken all their responses and turned it into a commitment of promises that couples can make to each other. Something to work on every wonderful day of your lives together.

We will make our marriage a priority and understand that divorce is not an option.
We will always communicate with each other regardless of the situation.
We will be each other's best friend.
We will be honest, candid, and caring in our conversations.
We will be there for each other through the good and the bad.
We will be flexible.
We will never lose sight of why we fell in love.
We will always make sure that we carve out time for each other.
We will promise not to get others involved in our problems.
We will speak the language of love daily.
We will love each other deeply.
We will agree to make each other happy.
We will do silly things like running in the rain.
We will agree to surprise each other with little things like cards, cleaning the house, etc.
We will agree to have great sex.
We will agree to have fuzzy, warm hand holding and cuddling.
We will live every day in gratitude.
We will be sensitive to each other's needs, feelings, and space.
We will work on our marriage every day.
We will forgive each other and move forward.
We will agree to laugh and cry together.
We will make spirituality (God) a priority.
We will be selfless.
We will eat together daily.
We will share the chores.
We will surprise each other by cooking a favorite meal, going dancing, etc.
We will make time to have date night.
We will be spontaneous.
We will work as a team.
We will make sure that we share passion and intimacy.
We will make sure to have our daily dose of humor.
We will have patience for each other.
We will agree to not sweat the small things.
We will agree to disagree.
We will respect each other.
We will be loyal to each other.
We will never go to bed angry.
We will make sure that there are lots of daily kisses and cuddles.
We will never talk badly of each other.
We will remember that we are a representation of each other.
We will love our children.
We will support each other's decision.
We will always remember to laugh with each other.
We will accept each other for each other's imperfections.
We will try to be positive in all of our interactions.
We will respect each other every day of our lives.

source :A True Love Story

20 Facts About Ghosts That Haunt

1. Spirits that haunt, want your attention.

2. Spirits have absolutely no sense of time.

3. Spirits do not always realize that they are dead. To them, its like they are stuck in an aweful nightmare.

4. Spirits can communicate with us in various ways. In dreams, through subliminal thoughts, automatic writing, via the use of a pendulum, and intution. Other, more scientific ways are through white noise and evp.

5. Spirits are sometimes mischevious and always curious.

6. Spirits have a profound sense of smell! They are often attracted to certain scents.

7. Spirits are more active at night. Some people think that this is due to less electronic disturbance and that they are able to produce more energy when not having to compete with varous electric and electronic devices.

In the same sense, you are more likely to experience ghostly disturbances when your house is quiet.

8. Spirits can and often do, manifest. Orbs, streaks of light, mists, dark shadows, shadows within shadows, and blurs within the air are the most common. Full-body appritions are always possible, but are not likely.

9. Most ghostly disturbances are actually residue or risidual haunings. Events that play themselves out over and over again, often without the spirit having any control over it whatsoever.

10. Gostly activity is often more prevalent around children and young adults due to the amount of energy they give off. The higher your personal energy, the more spirits are able to absorb.

11. Spirits often retain memories and emotions of their physical life. And most certainly the memories and emotions associated with the time right before their death.

12. Not all ghosts are "trapped." Some choose to stay within the earthly realm.

13. Spirits retain their personalities.

14. Animals and children are more likely to "see" a ghost.

15. Even the spirits of animals can "haunt."

16. Spirits can often be helpful.

17. Spirits can often be protective of the families they "haunt."

18. Ghosts may actually exist in a state of confusion and not have a clue as to what happened to them, why they are here, why you cannot see or hear them, etc.

19. When spirits are bored, they often cause trouble or become mischevious.

20. Certain locations are vortexes or portals where ghosts/spirits can transport themselves from one realm or place to another.

source 20 Facts About Ghosts That Haunt

When I Die, Don't Come To My Grave To Tell Me

If you can’t tell me those words now, don’t bother telling me when I can’t hear it anymore.

Life is unpredictable. Anything can happen in a blink of an eye. Yet people don’t value each other. 

Some parents wait until they die to leave what they have to their children instead of enjoying together while they are alive. ~ Alby Menicatti 

Right now tell your love ones how you love them so much.

Actions speak so much louder than words so don’t just speak words but put action behind them.

If you can’t spend time with someone while they are alive, why bother coming to the funeral or grave site after they die?

You’re a proud enough and you have time. You think that you can wait a bit longer and nothing can not be changed. Is the same as living in safe island. In reality, is nice to lie under the palm tree. You know that one day someone will save you. But you never know when will be the last chance to say important words to someone. No one ever thinks that someone can lose unexpectedly. ~ Nora Praudiņa 

Never to shy away from telling someone how much they mean to me.

Many people will live in regret for what they did not say or do. Live each day as if it were to be your last. We never know when its our time to walk on.

The last time I went to a funeral I couldn’t stop thinking that rather than saying all of those accolades after the person is gone, wouldn’t it be nice to have a big party while the person is still alive so he/she can hear those touching words & celebrate life!

Forget about only sending flowers after someone has passed. Send them today while they are living. ~ Karen Armstrong 

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep

"Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" is a poem written in 1932 by Mary Elizabeth Frye. Although the origin of the poem was disputed until later in her life, Mary Frye's authorship was confirmed in 1998 after research by Abigail Van Buren, a newspaper columnist.

Poem Text

A Thousand Winds

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there. I did not die.

Origins

Frye, who was living in Baltimore at the time, wrote the poem in 1932. She had never written any poetry, but the plight of a young German Jewish woman, Margaret Schwarzkopf, who was staying with her and her husband, inspired the poem. Margaret Schwarzkopf had been concerned about her mother, who was ill in Germany, but she had been warned not to return home because of increasing anti-Semitic unrest. When her mother died, the heartbroken young woman told Frye that she never had the chance to “stand by my mother’s grave and shed a tear”. Frye found herself composing a piece of verse on a brown paper shopping bag. Later she said that the words “just came to her” and expressed what she felt about life and death.^[1]

Frye circulated the poem privately, never publishing or copyrighting it. She wrote other poems, but this, her first, endured. Her obituary in The Times made it clear that she was the author of the famous poem, which has been recited at funerals and on other appropriate occasions around the world for 60 years.^[2]

The poem was introduced to many in the United Kingdom when it was read by the father of a soldier killed by a bomb inNorthern Ireland. The soldier's father read the poem on BBC radio in 1995 in remembrance of his son, who had left the poem among his personal effects in an envelope addressed 'To all my loved ones'. The authorship of the poem was established a few years later after an investigation by journalist Abigail Van Buren.

The poem is common reading for funerals.

source Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep