a love becoming

{my first collected leaf of the season - photo taken by jkeller}

Months ago, I read Cjane all the way back to her beginning. She's so her. If you have read the woman's thoughts, you know what I am talking about. I love her. She is so her.

On my way traveling back through her archives, in a post from december, she said, "the secret to happiness is continually falling in love."

That has been with me ever since I read it. So true.

What does that mean to you?

When I married Mr. Keller, loving him was effortless. We were dizzy in love. You know the feeling. We married in winter, returned from our Yellowstone honeymoon to a home surrounded by snow and spent any spare time snuggled up close to one another (click here to tour the snugly cabin we stayed in). That winter, being newlyweds and such, we kept so warm. We lived in the most cozy set-up. I learned to cook in a kitchen barely big enough for the both of us, and only if we were embracing –which made for a lot of romance come dinner time! We dressed up for each other. We smelled lovely for each other. He opened all doors. I was polite. My heart melts recalling those days.

Those magical days.

Eventually, they blended together. We found routine. And in the middle of it all, novelty retreated to memory. Its dissipation brought realness. Emotion. Blemishes. In the both of us. We stripped ourselves down.

And we have fought. Misunderstood. Misspoke. Been unkind.

We have nursed each other to health. Mended one another's bruises. Kissed until things were better.

And you know, things always get better. Why?

Because one December morning, we knelt beside one another, pristine and white, and we covenanted to God and to each other that our hearts would always be faithful, full of faith, that we would always love, and that we would always wait things out.

When he promised that day, he meant it. I meant it. And we will never give up on one another. That alone chases all shadowed feelings and purifies my heart.

And now, in the realness of the life we're building together, loving him is full of effort. I labor over it daily. But I have come to know that when I tend to it with earnestness, with sincerity, it flourishes.

And falling in love continually, has become an inspiring goal. An aim.

A purpose.

To look for the lovely, the beautiful. And find it.

Find it within. And find it there before you, in your other half – your sweetheart.

Find it in your surroundings. Within your home.

Find that falling in love continually does orchestrate happiness.

The two go hand in hand.

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"The secret to happiness is to continually fall in love.

To give the soul reasons for butterflies."

{Cjane}