It is often implied that mature love is what’s left over after the sizzle is gone, like it’s something we settle for after best of love has been doused by the passing of time. I beg to differ. Mature love is something to aspire to.
It is not the weathering away of something forgotten; it is the fortifying of something cherished.
Mature love is not easily attained. But that is what makes it such a treasure. It is part conscious effort and part evolution and part passage of time. It is the older couple who waltzes in effortless synchronicity across a crowded dance floor. It is in the selfless acts freely given and reciprocated. It is in the persevering presence of hand resting upon hand during times of adversity, loss and self-doubt.
This kind of love, like wine, takes time to age. There is the conscious effort of the its makers, the unpredictable factors exacted by environment and climate, and passage of time that allows for maturation.
My glass is raised to the young lovers in the photo, married on September 3, 1957 — nearly fifty seven years ago.
Thoughtful Quotes that Resonate
What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent,unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting. – George Eliot– pen name of Mary Evans
I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out. – Elizabeth Barrett Browning
(Photo by Gwen Tuinman)
Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.
Gwen Tuinman 
February 11, 2014 at 6:28 am
Lovely tribute. Wonderful photo.
February 11, 2014 at 9:30 am
Gwen, we were touched by the words of your essay, and the fact that you chose us both as the principals in it! Love is always victorious in the end, while maneuvering the often rocky and perilous roadway of one’s life. In life, nothing comes easy, and constantly trying to overcome barriers is a must! Well done! Mom and Dad
February 22, 2014 at 10:13 am
I love this post, especially the tender line: It is in the persevering presence of hand resting upon hand during times of adversity, loss and self-doubt.
That to me is what chemistry is all about.