Social media is a great way for people to connect with old friends or people you've just met. It's a space to share ideas and learn new things.
Recently, a woman got into a Facebook debate with a man she had never met. After the debate was over, the man private messaged her with the last thing she ever expected.
He casually said they should go out together. Not wanting to be rude, she told him that she was flattered but married. Instead of moving on, like most people do when finding out a person is already in a relationship, he persisted by saying "It will be fun lol."
She responded with the truth of her marriage, not sugarcoating any facts
"When I got diagnosed with cancer last year I didn't have the heart to tell my boys (whom I have always protected) that I could die. My husband had to look in their eyes and say that I was sick. He subsequently took care of me during multiple surgeries, emptying drainage bags, giving me blood thinner shots, holding my hand while [I] was in pain, and going to get chemo infusions."
After sharing the detailed experienced of her suffering awe and her husband's love, she continued with the most profound part of her message.
"During this time there was a song lyric that would constantly loop in my head: 'Love is watching someone die.' So my question to you is...who is going to watch you die? Get your house in order and please stop messaging me."
This woman proved to a stranger that in her house, love was more than just a four-letter word. She had love in her marriage, and it was shown through dedication, devotion and service.
What does love mean to a therapist?
In an email, licensed psychologist Dr. Wyatt Fisher told me that the best way to describe love "is an outpouring behaviorally of what we're feeling emotionally and it can be shown through words, acts of kindness, physical touch, gifts and spending quality time together."
Love is more than just sexual satisfaction. Love is building a life with someone, sharing in their pain, listening to how their day went, going to doctor's appointments and grabbing fast food together when neither of you wants to cook. This woman learned the secrets to a happy marriage, and no one was going to take that away from her.
What are the best expressions of love?
Dr. Fisher went on to say, "The best expressions of love are things that make your partner feel loved, not necessarily what makes you feel loved. For example, someone who feels loved by getting gifts may provide gifts to their partner to make them feel loved too. However, if gifts aren't how they feel loved then that creates a problem. Therefore, couples must learn how to love one another in the way their partner likes to receive love."
This is one of the hardest things to learn at the beginning of a marriage - learning to express your love so your spouse can feel it. Don't stop trying and don't give up on your marriage.
Marriage is one of the greatest gifts and your love for each other can be so much deeper and meaningful than a simple word. Your loyalty and devotion to your spouse will bring you so much satisfaction and happiness - only those who make their marriage a priority will experience that level of happiness.