Romance – Tanaga

I was invited by Elizabeth from Tea and Paper to join the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge: “Post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge”. Elizabeth posts photos, poems, artsy stuff and other things on her lovely blog. Please drop by and check it out.

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I thought that for my fifth and final post for this challenge, I would keep things on the lighter side. I thought that romance and a rose fit well together. The poem is a Tanaga, which is a Philippine poetry form, four lines in length, seven syllables each line, first two lines rhyme and the second two rhyme.

My nomination for today’s post is Neha, from Forgotten Meadows.

Then and Now – 11 years of love

November 15th, 2003 – The day we were married. Who would have ever thought that there would be a man who could put up with me? My step-dad told me on our wedding day, while I was anxious and flustered, “Staci, you couldn’t have found a better man than Daniel”. And you know what? He was right. He is my friend, companion, adviser, helper, teacher and lover (and unfortunately, as well as gracefully, my punching bag every so often). All this rolled up in one. He is the one that I philia, storge and eros, and always will be. I am the one he philia, storge and eros, and always will be. How can I be sure? As I responded to a comment from my beautiful blogger friend:

“We have been through some serious rough patches (especially in the first year, and me not knowing about certain health issues I have), but have always stuck it through. I am dead set against divorce, unless there is some type of abuse of infidelity, and I have full assurance and trust in my husband that would never happen. There have been temptations along the way, but my strong convictions in my faith, spiritual beliefs, God and morality are what serve for me a foundation that can’t be shaken.“

Marriage is tough. Anyone who says it’s a walk in the park, full of ooey gooey feelings and romance all the time, hasn’t been married, at least not for very long. These past few days I have been posting about the ancient Greek words,’philia, storge and eros’ for our one English word, ‘love’ . It has helped me to appreciate ever so more the true meaning of this word and the many facets of it. So even in a culture, where true love and the entirety of its meaning seems to be declining, or at least mis-understood, we have gone 11 years and will go another 11. And if we should survive beyond that, 11 more, and so on. We have decided to be counter-culture and to stick it out. Through thick and thin. Through good and bad. In sickness and health, we are one.

What are your thoughts on marriage?

Romantic Love

 

When you think of the word ‘love’ what comes to mind? ‘Love’ seems to encompass so much more than just the vagueness of one word. The Greek had four different words for our one word. Two days ago I posted about Phileo (or Philia) love, known as a brotherly love, or the love one would find in an authentic friendship. Yesterday’s poem was about Storge love, or affectionate/familial love. Today’s focus is on ‘Eros’ love, or romantic love.

Eros is where we get the English word, ‘erotic’ from. It is the type of love that we would so often hear now-a-day as ‘being in love’ or ‘falling in love’. It is the type of love that lights a fire within us and is felt physically, sensually, romantically, etc. Eros is what allows us to procreate with pleasure.

I have read a couple of articles that have suggested that eros naturally fades in a sensual relationship within the span of a year. Although, one specific source, ‘From Eros To Agape’ suggested that he doesn’t think it has to fade at all. “Types of Love” says, “Although this romantic love is important in the beginning of a new relationship, it may not last unless it moves a notch higher because it focuses more on self instead of the other person. If the person “in love” does not feel good about their relationship anymore, they will stop loving their partner.”

I love this one quote by CS Lewis, from his book, “The Four Loves”

–Eros will have naked bodies; Friendship naked personalities. –CS Lewis

I believe that it’s this type of love that many youth (and not-so-youth) now-a-day consider ‘Love’. Once one falls out of love, they discard the object of their past affection, breaking a heart and hurting emotions. ‘Love’ in this sense then, is purely selfish.

Do you think that many now-a-day think of ‘Eros love’ as ‘Love’ itself? Do you think Eros, in and of itself, completes a relationship between two people?

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The above poem is a modern version (The Message) of the book, “Song of Solomon” from the Bible.