December 20: A Day of Love Remembered

 

As I sit quietly this evening, my thoughts are drawn irresistibly to George, my beloved husband. December 21 marks the day we stood before God and pledged our hearts to one another—a date forever etched into my soul. Time moves swiftly, and though it has been two and a half years since George left for my Father’s home, not a single day passes without his presence in my thoughts. In the morning, afternoon, and night, especially in the quiet moments before sleep, I feel his love surrounding me, as real as if he were here by my side.

We had a love that was tender and true, a bond nurtured by daily rituals that reflected the depth of our connection. Each morning began with a warm hug, each night ended with a kiss and shared prayers. We faced life together, whether in joy or sorrow, encouraging one another with faith and hope. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). This verse guided our marriage, reminding us that forgiveness and grace are the cornerstones of a lasting union.

Our shared love of literature added another layer to our lives. Together, we journeyed through the words of Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Faulkner, and Conrad. “There is no happiness or unhappiness in this world; there is only the comparison of one state with another,” Tolstoy wrote in Anna Karenina. We cherished these moments, marveling at the truths that spoke to the human heart. Shakespeare’s sonnet whispered to us, “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds... It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken.”

And yet, life brings its tempests. The price of such profound love, I have come to understand, is the grief that lingers when one is left behind. C.S. Lewis, in his reflections on loss, wrote, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.” My heart is indeed wrung, yet I would not trade one moment of our shared life, for even the pain is a testament to the beauty of what we had.

In the evenings, I often imagine George sitting on the couch or by my bedside, his kind eyes
meeting mine as we talk about the day. Though I can no longer touch his hand, I feel his spirit near, as if whispering the words of Matthew 28:20: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” His presence is a reminder that love transcends even death.

Our marriage was a journey of faith, anchored in the belief that God’s love sustains all things. “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:9). In this assurance, I find solace. Though George has gone ahead, I trust that he is preparing a room for me in the Father’s house, as Jesus promised in John 14:2.

On the eve of our anniversary, I celebrate the love that defined our lives, a love that remains eternal. George, you are my ever-fixed mark, my joy and my sorrow, my strength and my vulnerability. As we shared our favorite literary lines, I now share this prayer:

Lord, thank You for the gift of love that George and I shared. May this love continue to light my path, even in his absence, until we meet again in Your eternal embrace. Amen.