Wednesday, April 6, 2011

the only thing that counts

what you feel only matters to you. it's what you to do to the people you say you love. that's what matters. that's the only thing that counts.
-the last kiss


that's my favorite quote, folks, from  my favorite movie of all time. with all the beautiful poetry, song lyrics (and goodness, there are some beautiful song lyrics), and classic literature that i've consumed, this one stands above them all. because at its core, it's the truest sentiment i've found.

because just as faith without works is dead, so is love. i  can hold in my heart the greatest, sweetest feelings toward robert, but if i don't act on them, if i just cocoon them and stay safe within them, he'll never know. and it's a beautiful harbor, that cocoon. i could live forever inside it. but i can't. we can't.

i've got to show it to my family too. for me, this means staying up on the phone with my sister, far away in college. helping mama clean up after a big meal. helping my brother with his homework (because microsoft excel can be ridiculously hard). driving 20 minutes to ship my etsy packages from the post office where my dad works, though there are three post offices within a two-mile radius of my work.

because no one can read my mind. no one will know how i feel about them unless those feelings pick themselves up by their bootstraps and morph into actions.

it's the greatest challenge, and the greatest gift, this ability to show love. it can backfire, lead to misread signals, and end up unrequited and defeated. but it can also lead to the greatest happiness and reward this life can offer. and when this life's up, all the love we've given, every single gorgeous drop of it, will be returned to us tenfold. by a Creator who graciously, thankfully, is a master of leading by example.

22 comments:

sarah nicole said...

Lady, it's like you read my mind! If only you have posted this a few weeks ago. ; )

Thank you, once again, for a beautiful post. Love starting my day with them.

xo,

Sarah

Jennifer Rod said...

thank you for this post. ive actually been praying for God to do this in me. that i may show love, act on the love i say i feel for the people in my life. and it's a good feeling. :)

Unknown said...

Wonderful post, sweetheart. Where would we be without love?

Dee Paulino said...

I needed this. you're awesome. period.

Nicki said...

That is a beautiful quote. I completely agree with you. In fact, yesterday, in my philosophy class were discussing the difference between saying and doing. I mean, I know it seems simple, but it really isn't... because doing requires initiative. it requires time--time that we don't want to give up. But after all, if you really do love someone, the best thing you could give them is your time!

erika said...

Awesome. Very true.

jenny said...

this is sooo beautiful. so true. and so right. thank you. yours is a beautiful place.

melissa said...

I have been praying continuously about this! That I show & act on my love more through God! x

shopgirl said...

Very true and poetic.

Thanks for sharing this sweetie.

Some Korean Website Highjacker said...

i love that quote! i was actually watching tv last night with Sean and Craig Ferguson came on. he's usually all full of p%#s & vinegar but his interview with the lovely Sophia Bush got sort of deep when he said the words "behavior leads to action, not action leads to behavior" (or something close to that). i was stunned b/c before that he talked about feeling upset about things in life and raging outwardly over them. to prove his point that remaining calm within the storm is usually a more calming and powerful approach. i really liked it and enjoyed it's sentiment too.

i loved hearing about what you got out of that quote and thanks so much for sharing it with us all. you are never short on insightful and inspiring elements. xo ♥

Southhamsdarling said...

Oh, isn't that a gorgeous post, and I just love the sentiment behind it. You are right of course, it is in the doing that we show our love. No good just sitting there, thinking how much we love someone. We must let them know by doing the little things (and sometimes the big things) to actually let our love come out of our heart and into theirs.

Whim Wham Life said...

Amazing quote! Such a reflection on my life right now and the season I'm in...One of my goals this year is to be more intentional in my relationships. This is perfect:-) xoxo

Unknown said...

What a great post :) The Last Kiss is one of my all-time favorites - this quote definitely puts the movie back to the top of my must-watch list.

Thank you for posting - Seeing your blog in bold on my google reader always brings a smile to my face!

Unknown said...

amen my friend. God is so kind to show us.

love this.

xoxo

Unknown said...

Again, I totally love this post and it really rings true to my life.

Amber said...

i need to do more of this. Sometimes things can get so hectic that I forget to show the people I love just how much they mean to me. Thanks for the reminder :)

the southern hostess said...

I love that photo and this post is so beautifully written.

Anonymous said...

beautifully written :)xx



p.s. I have a giveaway happening on my blog! Would love for you to join in!

Haley said...

absolutely beautiful :) This post is one of only a few that I know is going to leave a warm feeling inside me for the rest of the day. I loved your comparison of "faith without works is dead" to showing our love!! SO VERY TRUE. one of my favorite quotes, as of last weekend, is:
"Pure love is an incomparable, potent power for good."
-- Richard G. Scott
Thank you for your touching words :)

And that photo is stunning!

Diana Mieczan said...

This is truly fantastic and that quote is incredible. Thank you. I totally needed this this morning. Happy Thursday, my dear
Kisses

Brandi said...

Your posts are so wildly inspiring. And reading four at a time is a huge dose of beauty. Showing love is something I'm working on. I'll help anyone who asks me and I'm always there if someone needs to talk. I guess it's those little actions as much as the big ones that show you care.

JMay said...

Loveeeee that quote.

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