Saturday 11 September 2010

This is love

What is love?

Well there's a philosophical opening, look at me being all deep and shit!

In the western world, and in my younger days, I would have said love is about romance and showing you love someone rather than saying you love someone.
Now I live in Japan, maybe I see love more as accepting that person as a part of your family and putting up with them for a reaaaallllly long time, not so romantic but family all the same.

Ryota rarely shows me he loves me in the traditional ways. I've never gotten flowers or choccies or surprise presents or anything like that. The occasional random rabu rabu mail, maybe, but nothing that 'special.' But despite the lack of romance, I've always been safe in the knowledge that he wouldn't just desert me or abandon me, he's in it for the long haul, well, if I can put up with him like.

My ex-boyfriend in Aussie, D (who I will write a post on later this week) was quite romantic, my mum only last week threw away a huge soft teddy he gave me once. Maybe it is just a young thing to do??
Anyway... the reason I'm writing this, is I've discovered love. They walk past the school every morning and every night and they bring tears to my eyes on a regular basis.

This is fucking love...


Bit hard to see, because I can't just go around snapping pictures of them! But the old guy sitting on the bench has had a stroke and can barely walk, yet he goes for a walk at least twice a day, and his wife (standing with the bag) goes with him, every slow, painful step of the way. She is kind, gentle and encourages him. His face is always twisted in pain but she gently holds his arm and smiles. I think these two are a good example of what I hope I'll be in however many years from now. If I was in an accident or if I got sick, I'd hope my partner would look after me, and the same in reverse, if he got sick I hope I'd have the patience and love for him to help him as much as this lady does.

Random, but I feel appropriate for today, as I not only am I drowning in snot from some crazy strain of cold but am wheezing and gasping for air from asthma.

Happy weekend to all of you with lungs that aren't filling up with mucus or windpipes that aren't slowly but surely tightening until you can't breathe. Lucky bastards...

11 comments:

  1. Great post.
    I've been feeling a bit cynical about "love" lately as well. Nice to know that it really is out there...

    Hope you feel better soon C, that nasty asthma/cold doesn't sound very fun.

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  2. That`s lovely..I guess as we grow older we learn it comes in all different forms.
    Hope you are feeling better soon!

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  3. That`s a sweet entry. And I hope we`re all like that when we get older... for humanity sake I suppose.

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  4. I`ll walk you around town if you have a stroke sweety!

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  5. It's nice when you see things like that. My mum and dad still hold hands when they go out shopping.

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  6. Aw. you've just made me well up, and I'm practically dead inside. Cute.
    Get well soon.

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  7. I definitely don't get the "romantic love" as much from Takeshi as he may get from me. But in a sense, I think men show love differently than women, especially the Japanese! lol. All that emotional shit in manga is only what geeks think it'll be like.

    But that's so sweet. ;__; Aww. Watching old people like that, makes me a big softy sometimes too.

    Hope you get better soon! <3

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  8. My heart just smiled! I'm easy to please in the romantic-gesture sense. But I totally GET the acceptance of who you are being tops! Thanks for the feel-good post on this bright Sunday :)

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  9. What a wonderful story. It's easy to be all mushy and love struck when you are young but it's great to see a couple who sticks together. Flowers and chocs are nice but they are just showy really, aren't they... a guy can do all that and be the biggest arsehat in town! It doesn't mean much.

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  10. I don't comment much but I love your blog.
    Great post! I'm glad to see real love is somewhere out there. My Japanese boyfriend just dumped me after 4 years of what felt like a strong relationship. I was planning to move to Japan in January next year to live with him, and suddenly he tells me he can't handle the loneliness of being long-distance 4 more months (after we managed reasonably well for about 3 years). I so didn't see this happen but I guess I have to deal with it.

    I'm glad you and your husband are doing well. It gives me hope somehow.

    Hope you'll feel better soon.

    Anne

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  11. There is a couple in my neighborhood who must be in their 80s at least. They ride by once a day. She sits side-sidle on the back of his bicycle. I imagine they have ridden a bicycle like this together for 60 or 70 years. Always makes me feel soft and gushy.

    Asthma is awful. I never had it before I came to Gifu, now every Sept/Oct. Can't wear my contacts for more than a few hours during this time of year, either. I hope you get treatment that works soon. Not easy to find, I know.

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