It's about LOVE

I am watching Marley and Me and if you've watched the movie you'd know that it's about how a dog, a troubled one for that matter, live his entire life with this guy from his dating days until he becomes a father of three. It's not about the dog I'm writing about because I've never had a dog so that bond between man and dog is not something I could relate to. I'm pretty sure from what I've seen on TV and what I've read before, this bond is definitely something special. Besides a man's love for his dog, I could also see parental love and a couple's struggle to maintain a relationship, a marriage to be precise, are displayed in the movie. Oh my God, this is starting to sound like an assignment from my days of studying. Getting back on track. Where parental love is concern, I could see how parents would do anything and everything in their power to give the best life to their children. Giving the best does not mean giving all the expensive and branded items or fulfilling all their children's want and needs. Giving the best to me means always doing something and sacrificing for their children's future. Look at how our parents work so hard to ensure that we get what we need. How they struggle not only to make ends meet but also to have extras so that they could save for the rainy day. How they sacrifice their dreams and ambitions for our sake, giving all they could for a better home for us, saying no to what they want because that chunk of money could be better used for our education fund. Although parental love is something we can't visibly see, just watch Parenthood and you'll understand what I mean, it is for a fact true love that we're blessed with. Many of us might think that the love for a girl friend or a boy friend is the best, but it's not the kind of love you get from your parents. Parental love is something so unconditional, so protective in nature, some may confuse that with not getting enough privacy, but trust me when you get older you know why your father gave that lousy guy a hard time and why your mother took away that hand phone and switched off the TV and forced you to study instead. They are constantly worried. Worried that they could not protect their children from the cruelty out there, they could not protect their children from getting their hearts broken and so on and so forth. Just count their wrinkles, that's how much we have made their lives difficult. But have they complained? Never. Clearly, my missing my parents is seen through my writing right? It's something unconscious I suppose, the things I write is triggered by what I feel and what I feel is what is inside my heart. Here's to my parents: I hope you will stay strong together, thank you for everything, the times when you worked so hard for us and the times you say our names in your prayers. May Allah grant you with health, wealth and happiness. I hope I've done you proud and will continue to do you proud.
The next issue that was poignant in the movie was a couple's struggle to maintain a relationship in a marriage. Whoever said that a marriage is the ending to a perfect love story has lived in a bubble for far too long. A relationship of any kind, needs work. As much as we think love is everything, it really isn't. It is definitely what drives you to do what you do but a lot of other factors come into play. Here's a short list of what I've observed from people, what I've read as well as TV:
1. trust - you need to earn it, to give it and to keep it.
2. hope - always smile with hope because it keeps you going.
3. commitment - show love and be committed. Otherwise, don't even bother being in a relationship.
4. respect - very important!!! do I even need to explain?
5. patience, patience, patience
6. loyalty - EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
7. understanding
8. communicate - talk about things, dissatisfaction and frustrations. Talk things through to address the issues when they arise...so there shall be no digging from the past
9. sacrifice - you win some, you lose some
10. pleasant surprises - dates, parties for two, etc. be sweet, be loving, make love..

What credentials do I have in this area? None. I don't even have experience, but this is just a sharing of my opinion and the little knowledge I've gathered from my observations and reading.