The Difference Between Romantic Love and True Love

Growing up and beyond I was obsessed with films featuring true love found and lost amidst uncontrollable circumstances. I’d stay up into early morning hours, crying over these tragedies and wondering if one day I’d have a love so great that it would consume me and shape the rest of my life even if it didn’t last. Or especially if it didn’t last, which was the theme of so many of my beloved stories.

The English Patient was recently on TV and while I hadn’t seen it in almost 15 years, I well remembered all the viewings in high-school, a pile of tear-soaked tissues by my side for the confounding sadness of brief true love moments lost.

Something surprising happened as I re-watched the film: I didn’t shed one tear. There was almost a dribble at Kip and Hana’s parting, a quiver as Hana read Katherine’s last note to Laszlo. The only real threat of waterworks was in thinking about Anthony Minghella’s untimely death in 2008, which was a huge loss to the arts community.

How could this be? Had I stopped believing in true love?

Instead of early morning crying, I lay in bed thinking. What’s changed? READ MORE