Temporary Madness

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."
_____

Taken from the movie Captain Correll's Mandolin. Those who know me well know how much I dislike Hollywood, and I admit that it was a struggle for me to bring myself to quote something from a movie here. But this quote is (in my view) brilliant, regardless of its source.

For too long I've deceived myself by thinking that love is that "temporary madness", "breathlessness", "excitement", and "passion" referred to above. All along I've been looking for a feeling, when I should've been looking to make a decision.

Thanks for the quote and conversation, FL.

Lord have mercy.

Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy.