LOVE: In the Extraordinary & Ordinary Moments

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you reading this. I never imagined that I would have a place to share my deepest thoughts about books, so I am endlessly grateful to anyone willing to read them.

On another note, I apologize for the slight delay in this blog post – I took the week off to be with my family over Thanksgiving.

Without further ado, I present the second installment of posts about love. Again, I want to reiterate that rightly ordered love is a gift and grace from God, and it is necessary for morality. Without love of the other above oneself, there is no point in acting morally, righteously, or virtuously.

Today, I am going to focus on love in every action and how we can take this into the holiday season. This concept is summed up in a gem of a quote from one of my favorite books. I know I say that every week, but what can I say? I love a lot of books, and I am starting this blog with my favorites because why not?

Today’s book is The One by Kiera Cass. This is the third book in The Selection Series (linked below). I have read this series at least three times if not more. Every time I read it, I fall even more in love with it. It is an enchanting series with one of the best love stories that I have ever had the privilege of reading.

Towards the end of this book, the main love interest, Maxon, has this amazing quote that lives completely rent free in my head. Side note – if you are looking for the key to my heart, keep this quote in mind.

After trials and tribulations, though not the last of them, Maxon and America have finally recognized their love for each other and are willing to admit it. Maxon says this quote that melts my insides:

“I want everything with you, America. I want the holidays and the birthdays, the busy seasons and lazy weekends. I want peanut butter fingerprints on my desk. I want inside jokes and fights and everything. I want a life with you.”

Ah! Would you not just die from happiness if someone ever said that to you? I would! Although I am a bit dramatic. I could gush about how romantic and dreamy this quote is for hours, but I will try to rein it in and discuss how this quote shows the rightly ordered love that is necessary for morality.

Maxon explains that true love is present in every single instance. From big events like holidays and birthdays to small, everyday actions like peanut butter fingerprints and inside jokes. He professes his love for America in everything.

This idea is so important for us to keep in mind, especially over the holiday season. This time of year can be extremely hard for people, myself included. My holidays always seem to leave the bitter taste of anxiety, drama, and guilt in my mouth long after they have passed. Further, for those of us without significant others, the holidays can feel desperately lonely.

But I have come to realize that this is my own doing. I am so concerned with myself and my own holiday experience that I lose touch with what really matters – spending time with the people I love.

Rightly ordered love for my family and friends is about showing them love and joy no matter the circumstances. Maybe there is family drama, or I had to choose to spend time with some people instead of others; perhaps, it’s saying “NO!” to the boyfriend question for the tenth time. Whatever else is going on that may be selfishly consuming my thoughts, it is important to take a step back and recognize the love I have for the people I am with.

Even more than that, it is important to show these people we love them in our everyday actions, not just during the holidays. Simple texts to say I love you or a random act of kindness on a Tuesday can go a long way towards fostering this rightly ordered love.

This idea is important in romantic relationships, like America and Maxon, but it is also important in other relationships as well. For the other single pringles out there, we can prepare for romantic relationships by practicing rightly ordered love in every relationship (at least that’s my hope). Now, I am not saying that you need to do everything with your family just to show them that you love them, but I am saying that every action should be centered around love.

For example, Christmas gift shopping should not be an obligation, but it should be done out of love. Perhaps, you will not give the most expensive gifts, but a gift given in love matters so much more. Maybe it is a small trinket that reminds you of the person, or a genuine thing they can use. We often get sucked into a trap of buying gifts for others to make ourselves look good, and we forget to even think about the other person.

The point is that thinking of others changes everything. Maxon wants life with America, every day – the holidays AND the Tuesdays. Simple things like peanut butter fingerprints, which could be an annoyance, become so much more when they come from a place of love. We must recognize this in our own lives as well. The holidays are just as important as the Tuesdays.

My hope is that all of you reading remember this in the chaos of the holiday season. Love those around you well over the holidays and continue to do so every day in small, ordinary acts and in big, celebratory ones. Actions taken in love are the best gift of all, any season.

The Selection Series – Amazon Link

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