Take note, kids. This is what true love looks like.

We both detest how we look. Not feeling any romance. Life’s battles have taken their toll. We’re not the young, attractive, fit youngsters we once were. Everyone comes to this point eventually, some just sooner or more frequently than others.

We left the house at 6:00 a.m. After 3 hours on the road, it took twenty freaking minutes just to find an open spot in the parking garage.

Waited a full hour after check-in before our number was called. Surgery got started 90 minutes late.

We’re spending lots of money that we don’t have on expenses we don’t want. We’re tired and uncomfortable.

What you do not see is a beach or a sunset or a candlelit table.  We’re not thinking of each other as “soulmates.” We don’t “complete” each other. What you see is just two people living the simple, brutal reality of this particular moment. Together.

Study this photo. Really study it because this is not superficial love. It’s the real deal. Unwavering commitment. Joy in suffering. For better or for worse.

At the end of the day, three things remain: faith, hope, and love.

But the greatest of these is Love.