Let Me Count The Ways

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

 I have had a lot of time to think about the many ways in which we love each other over the past few weeks. Saying goodbye to people, spending time with them, it becomes obvious that we do not need to say the words, "I love you". The words are, of course, important, but there are other ways to express it as well.

  • On our way home from Brisbane yesterday, my father told me I have magic inside me and never to let anyone ruin that. 
  • My mother always listens to what I have to say, even when it's annoying or crazy or even something that's just plain boring to her, like movie trivia. She listens even if I drone on for hours.
  • My sister used to (and still does sometimes) mimic my interests and hairstyles and that used to really annoy me until I realised she just wanted to be like her big sister. 
  • My friend Clare hovers around my house every weekend, and is basically living with me at this point. She constantly pesters me to watch the same three movies over and over again, which is super annoying in an endearing sort of way.
  • My friends Kelly and Benita love to fangirl about various ridiculous things with me on a regular basis, and are quite frankly, wonderfully ridiculous human beings.
  • Kate loves to rant about things that are going on in her life for hours at a time and it's fantastic.
  • Tahla and I drove to Dreamworld for the day and showed each other music although our tastes are completely different.
  • My grandparents email me constantly telling me about their frequent travels.
  • Grandpa chuckles in his baritone way, which instantly puts you at ease.
  • Cheese has taken two weeks off work to spend time with me when I get to England. 
  • My cousin sends me the music he's composed.
  • Jacinta and I drive down the range playing music way too loud.
  • My step-father does this funny little laughing noise when I give him a hug.
  • Dad's girlfriend Leanne bought me a beanie to say goodbye.

All of these things equate to loving without saying it. All of these things are incredibly important, because words don't mean a thing unless actions accompany them. People can say the words and be lying through their teeth, and people can have never said it, but mean it in every hug and offered morsel of food. Love is a tricky thing to reconcile with reality, because it makes you feel silly and happy and sad and stressed and serious and heartbroken and musical and creative and angry and disappointed and nostalgic. Love is an all en-compassing emotion that makes you into a new person and reminds you of who you truly are. 

Love is important in everything we do, and is especially important to me at the moment, as I leave a place where I know I am loved. The thing that spurs me on is that I will touch down in a place where I am loved. Maybe not by as many, or as much, but I am. I fly out tomorrow evening and I'm terrified. But I'm so excited. Because the people I love the most will be with me as I fly away. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Song of the Week: St James Infirmary - Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie is amazing, and I have always been in love with his comedy, and his acting, and his musical prowess is no different. This song is incredible anyway, but his rendition is fabulous, and I've listened to it so many times this week. The instrumental calms me, and as my friend put it, "Is it possible to be sexually attracted to a song?" (Hint: the answer is invariably yes)

Movie of the Week: Blades of Glory
Yeah, yeah, whatever. This movie is funny as fuck. It's also one of the aforementioned three movies that Clare insist we watch every time she comes over. By far the most requested, I finally relented (again) and we watched it for the last time together before I leave.

Book of the Week: Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Paige
I'm cheating a bit, because I haven't read this yet, but I picked it up at a gorgeous second hand book store near Pancake Manor in Brisbane, and I bought it specifically for the plane. I am looking forward to devouring it within the first hour of the flight, and thinking about it, wishing I'd bought more of them, in the hours after.

Photo of the Week: 
Kelly, Clare and I in Brisbane a few weeks ago. It's moments like this that I will treasure for life.


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