Essay Series
Ramblings on a word — Fantastic
A love letter for life
Fantastic — out of this world
My dear Love,
Looking back, it seems like we were little children trying to play house. But I am glad I stuck with you even though there were times when I wanted to run away from it all. I am grateful that you stayed with me for this incredible voyage we embarked upon, many years ago.
Although I describe this as a journey, it hardly comes close to describing a relationship so intimate, so constantly existent that sometimes it felt as though I would just disappear into this gaping maw. But we found our boundaries and learned when not to over-step.
It took me a while to realize that you accepted me for who I was without judgement, without trying to change me. I am glad you let me be myself, because I could speak the first thought that pops into my head and just be myself with you. This gave me the space to grow into a well-adjusted person, without the need to compartmentalize my emotions. Such candor brought about a lot of friction and disagreement, but we found our way through it.
After being through the ups and downs, stitched together with the humdrum of day-to-day life, all those traits that we found annoying about each other seems to have disappeared. Maybe they still exist, but we don’t seem to mind as much.
Because of you I am ageless;
Because I know you will forgive me, I try not to hurt you with my foolishness;
Because you are perceptive I don’t have the need to explain myself.
Every moment of everyday where ever I am, I feel your presence. The knowledge that you are there for me, that I can count on you no matter what, gives me the strength to reach for the stars.
If I fail, what does it matter? Because even on the worst day of my life, at a time when I am so angry, that I cannot bring myself to look at you, should someone ask me how my life is, I can smile and say honestly, ‘It’s fantastic’.
Always,
Your Love.
Note: When I started writing the Rambling series, I was discussing it with a friend and asked her for topic suggestions. As she flooded me with ideas, one of her earliest and favorite was a beautiful term in Tamil called, ‘Aadharsha dhambathigal’, which translates to, ‘ideal couple’, or ‘exemplary couple’, in English. The result of the thought process was this love letter; some from my own experience, but mostly from what I have seen among the couples from the earlier generation within the circle of friends and relatives, with marriages that span so long that the couple would have melded into a single unit, having built a world just for themselves complete with a language all their own.
Note: This article is part of an essay series, “Ramblings on a Word”.
Originally published at http://lmexpressions.com on October 15, 2016.
