Once upon a time

Once upon a time there was a beautiful young lady that fell in love with a prince. The love was young, pure and innocent. It was a love unlike no other. The prince and the young lady shared their mutual passion for each other through love letters, never held hands, never kissed, and never held one another.
That love grew stronger and one day the prince asked the beautiful young lady if she would marry him. With joy in her heart the young lady said yes, but first she needed her father’s approval. The young prince was not wearing fine cloth, or fancy shoes, he was not rich. So the young ladies father said they could not wed.
The prince and the young lady would not see each other again for more than 50 years. Yet, when the day came that they could look into each other’s eyes again, the two married. No more love letter needed because now they were able to hold each other, kiss, and hold hands.
But as time went by the prince began to become frail. He body weakened with age. His taught began to wonder and the lovely lady could no longer care for him the same, as she too began to age.
The prince loved his lady so much that one day he left and never came back so that his lovely lady would not see his life fade away.



Today I learned a lesson of what true love really is, as I spend time listening to my grandmother explain how even though her heart is aching and how she will miss her prince so very much, she is not angry as she learns that her prince, the love of her life choose to go back to Cuba- his native country- and never return.
His body is frail from cancer and Parkinson. He is no longer able to care the same for himself and my grandmother is aging and becoming frail as well with her heart condition, but yet she would carry him out of bed, shower him when he needed to be cleaned, cook and serve to his every need. He loved her so much, that he didn’t want to be a burden on her as his condition worsens. So he planned a trip to his homeland, where his children lived and called to tell my grandma-his lovely young lady-that he would no never return.
Though I am sad to see that my grandmother is going through great sorrow because she has lost her prince, they have both taught me a beautiful lesson. They have taught me that true love is not selfish, that the day may come where we may need to give up the most meaningful and cherished people in our lives for love. True love thinks not of self but of others. True love transcends time and distance. It is un-measurable and unlimited.

1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant.
By: Ivis Mateos