Love is Remembering

I’m a sucker for love stories.

I like listening to couples share about how they came together.  I’m fond of asking random questions that put couples in the hot seat. Questions such as how you met, what you liked about each other, how did you know he/she is the one (to which people always answer, “Oh you just know,” which is very helpful, I guess 😉 Perhaps some are kind of slow in knowing since the most beautiful stories take time, but this is another topic for another day…

As I was saying, hehe, what I really like most about these conversations is seeing the couples’ eyes light up or glisten, their lips start to quiver or can’t help but smile, and if ever there was space in between them, it vanishes completely such that no ant could pass by.  There is a certain kind of warmth and joy that permeates the air whenever they remember the challenges they have gone through, the obstacles they have overcome, the little things one does for the other that make life better.  It’s like people fall in love over again at that moment. It’s quite a sight to behold, like a precious treasure unfolding before my very eyes.

I have discovered the secret to making relationships stronger, to rekindling the fire, or possibly saving a marriage from falling apart. It’s so simple and yet we forget sometimes. You want to know the secret?

I found that the key was to remember.

So if you will allow me to ask these very valuable questions. 🙂

What do you remember about the first time you met? What were your special memories of the day you got wed? What was the sweetest thing your loved one did for you? How did your world expand when he or she came around?

Do you remember the time he saved you from making a wrong decision? Do you remember the time she gave you a surprise birthday party, texting your friends she barely knew to put it all together? Do you remember when you were frustrated, depressed or disappointed and he came from the ends of the earth to make you feel better? Do you remember the special moments you had together? What are the things your partner does that make you feel cared for? Do you remember? 🙂

What I know for certain is that Love remembers.

Love remembers the special moments and the ordinary ones. Love remembers to take out the trash without being told. Love remembers to wash the dishes when the loved one is tired from a day of household chores.  Love remembers to buy her favorite food. Love remembers to encourage and hug him after a hard day’s work. Love remembers to pray when the beloved is away. Love remembers to reply so that the other person does not worry. Love remembers to say what needs to be said for the good of the other.  Love remembers to give a massage to a tired head. Love remembers to say thank you. Love remembers to apologize when a hurt is done unintentionally or not. Love remembers to remember the things that matters most. Love remembers even when you need to write it down to remind yourself or type it on your gadget so you don’t forget.

You know what, there is one great love story I won’t get tired of hearing again and again.

It is about this time that I remember.

Lent is THE greatest love story ever told. In these blessed 40 days, we remember how God loved us so that He sent His loved one to die on our behalf on the cross so that we can experience His love forever. This love is crazy. This love is true. And we need to remember how he sacrificed His Son to express His love for us in a very concrete way.

Love is a sacrifice. Love takes painstaking effort. Love remembers.

This Lent, we remember.

God remembers.

But what is remarkable to me is that even if we tend to sometimes forget, He remembers even the littlest details . He remembers what will make us happy. He remembers to lighten the load in our hearts. “Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb?” He asks, to which he replied with all the love in His heart.  Hey, you know what,  “Even if these may forget, I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15)

Thank God He remembers to wake us up every morning. Thank God He remembers to provide for us every day. Thank God He remembers to banish all our fears away. Thank God He loves us so much!

Perhaps, it is time for us to remember each time we encounter Him at Mass, giving heed to His request, “Do this in memory of me.” Our sacrifices may be challenging, but it’s the least we could do to show our gratitude to the One who loved us first.  We remember how it is to love because He showed us the way.

This Lent, may we remember how much God loves us and fall in love with Him all over again.