Ten years later, they’re still together…
The Girl in the Mirror
She looks at herself in the full length mirror that hangs from her bedroom wall. Completely naked and exposed, yet confident. She’s older than she was five years ago, but feels much younger. And she thinks momentarily about the different men who held her in front of this mirror.
They thought they possessed her. They thought she was theirs. Because she was in their arms, so delicate and sweet. But really she possessed them. Because she possesses the space in front of the mirror. And the moments that occur there too.
She gazes down at the man lying naked in her bed. But he’s not just another man. For the first time in years, this one sleeps differently. With a subtle smile, a dash of poise, and a history free of envy. And she smiles and giggles to herself.
Just then, he stirs, slowly lifts his head, squints his eyes, and looks at her standing across the room, naked in front of the mirror. His movement startles her and she jumps. Not because he sees her naked, but because she isn’t ready for him to be awake. Not yet.
This is her time, the early morning, when the world is quiet and she can hear the sound of her own breathing. It’s a sacred time when answers and insights aren’t as hard to come by. A time when her mind is at peace and her heart beats slower. And it begins beating slower again. Because he closes his eyes and falls back asleep.
She slips on her robe, tiptoes into the kitchen, pours coffee grounds and water into the coffee maker, places two slices of bread in the toaster, and opens the window curtains. The warm, early morning sun floods into her apartment. A few minutes later, the toaster pops. She spreads strawberry jam on the toast, pours a cup of coffee, opens the front door, and sits down on the doorstep.
And she thinks about how happy she is. Happy to simply be. To be free. To not be tied down by another person or have another person tied down by her. She stares up at the morning sky for a prolonged moment and smiles.
“I’m in love,” she says aloud.
The Guy in the Bed
He hasn’t fallen back asleep. When he lifts his head, squints his eyes, and sees her standing naked in front of the mirror, he senses that she isn’t yet ready for him to join her. So he closes his eyes and pretends to sleep.
He listens as she giggles, slips on her robe, tiptoes into the kitchen, and rattles the toaster, the coffee maker, and the curtains. He loves these little noises… Noises he calls music.
Like the music of last night, when they talked and laughed for hours over a bottle of wine. Until unexpectedly, she kissed him. And then he kissed her back. Because of her philosophy and her beauty.
She took off his shirt. He took off hers. And it went on like that for what seemed like hours until they were together in bed, naked. He thought he could love her. He wondered if he did love her already. And he wondered if she felt the same way.
When the kitchen noises stop, he gets up, slips on his boxers, and tiptoes into the living room where he sees her sitting peacefully on the doorstep. She’s completely bathed in the sun’s light. As she eats toast and drinks coffee, she seems to be laughing… a sweet, silent laughter.
He wants to bother her. To tell her that he’s hungry too, and that he wouldn’t mind sharing a slice of her toast. But he doesn’t. Because she seems so happy and free… the way it should be. So instead he stands in the doorway and admires her from a distance. And he thinks about the fact that she isn’t his… that she will never be his. And that it’s okay.
Because she just said, “I’m in love.”
Photo by: Jey Heich
zencontrol.net says
Beautiful, awesome… Love it
nimmy says
beautifully written …
this is exactly what i want 🙂
Tonya says
How beautiful – and that’s exactly what love is – exquisitely beautiful.
monita says
I felt my heart rip a little.
Positively Present says
So beautifully written and moving. Thank you for sharing this… It was such a wonderful read for me on a gloomy Monday morning. Thanks!
leandra says
This is beautiful. It’s the total essence of love that is so rarely experienced. Insecurity floods over so many lives that love has become such a hoarded possession. “You are mine and I am yours” is the motto of so many relationships.
We need more examples of love like this.
Marc says
@leandra: It is the illusion of possession that spoils the hopes of many great relationships. Love can only be based on trust and freedom.
@All: Thanks for the kind remarks. They mean a lot to us. 😉
Vincent says
Wow. I was impressed by this article. I love this part, “that she will never be his. And that it’s okay. Because she just said, “I’m in love.”.” That is something that is really sweet.
Vincent
Stephen - Rat Race Trap says
Awesome! Lovely. What a positive way to start off my morning! This is my favorite part:
“And she thinks about how happy she is. Happy to simply be. To be free. To not be tied down by another person or have another person tied down by her. ”
If only we would all act and feel this way.
Datrio says
This is the sweetest text I read in a really long time. It made me smile, and my eyes were wet. Wonderful!!
Mike says
“Ten years later, they’re still together…”
I assume this story is about you two? If so, that is really beautiful, congratulations 🙂
leandra says
@leandra: It is the illusion of possession that spoils the hopes of many great relationships. Love can only be based on trust and freedom.
—
Noted. 😉
Amanda says
This is beautiful and haunting, particularly for those of us who have felt these very similar emotions.
Dayne | TheHappySelf.com says
What a fantastic, beautiful post. It really struck me in an emotional way that I didn’t really expect, so thanks for making me feel something today. Great stuff!
Karl Staib - Work Happy Now says
Brings me back to this morning as my wife laid in bed, taking an extra snooze while I got ready for work. Since she is a teacher she is off for the summer, allowing her a little more shut eye than me. But as I woke her up, I realized how much love I have for her.
Love is lighter than water and has no bounds.
Elizabeth says
Truly truly beautiful and touching….
Jessie says
That was absolutely lovely, it really brightened up my day, thank you.
Bonnie says
This post is awesome. It is beautifully written and I love the sentiment. I especially love the part where she says how great it is to be free and not to be tied down to one person and vice versa.
Thank you so much for this post.
Marc says
Again, thanks so much for the lovely comments.
We truly do enjoy when you share your thoughts with us.
😉
Simone says
so beautifully written….
Jesa says
You almost made me wish I was a morning person. Other than that and my constant drinking, this is what I have. Or could have…
trieand says
so beautiful, i like it
Ren says
Touching, simple and beautiful…
Danielle says
Awh…a perfect snippet of the way love should be.
My heart just smiled all the way through this. 🙂
Thank you!
Elizabeth says
That was a lovely story!
WILLIE ROGERS says
I want to thank you for taking time to post this, it was really helpful.
Rosa says
“It is the illusion of possession that spoils the hopes of many great relationships. Love can only be based on trust and freedom”.
I think this is very true. However, it can be hard to find someone who has the same idea & understand it deeply.
I ran into this website a few days ago. I’ve found it helpful & that it shares a lot of my personal values/thoughts. Been reading it since. It’s wonderful of you to have shared all this wisdom.
Thank you.
saba says
Its lovely story, i am in this paradise,but i have a question for all you good people
Why love ends and when,OR
How can a person afraid to death to lose his love
But,
He attracts others and justify himself that its just attraction as we like movie stars.
Does unconscionably his love is never exists?
Does love has ended?
Does he want to be free?
Please if writer can express his feelings?
Thanks.
Dr Adesh says
I think my heart just had a skipped beat..i have to get my ECG done…so beautiful story..thanks for sharing.
Melodie says
Makes my heart skip a beat just reading it
austin roos says
a few minutes of reading really just changed everything for me. this is really beautiful. thank you for this.
Cecille says
beautiful and am so touched…love is all about FREEDOM…expectations lead to hurt and disappointments. When love is true…then it need not be forced nor imposed….reminds me of how i was able to express my love for one man which I know will never be mine…not to take away the freedom he is enjoying at the moment…letting him discover all by himself the things that truly makes him happy
Chris Weinkauff says
Great read this morning and the timing was perfect, as is the case so many times with your blogs. 🙂 I just ended a year long very intense and passionate relationship but it was far from what you described here. It was filled with I love yous, but also characterized by control and expectations for foundational change in who I am as a person. It was difficult to end, because there were so many great things about the relationship, along with hopes and dreams we had built together, but oh so necessary to end. I love who I am, who I was before him, but didn’t love who he expected me to be when we were together. So, my kids are happier as am I, despite the sadness of ending something in which I had invested my heart, and seeing the intense sadness in his eyes (and his constant texts to convince me to reconsider).
Thanks for your wonderful inspiration!
Chris
Flip says
Love it. Hard to learn but so rewarding.