Makes me a romantic idealist.

Being romantic can mean lots of things. In discussions I’ve had on a message board, some seem to think that being romantic automatically implies having physical sexual relations. Nope. That’s not necessarily true. Oh, so many, many ways to be romantic. Often, it’s a thought. A romantic thought. Writing a love poem, for instance. Or sharing a spiritual presence. Just seeing each other for 1,000 days in a row. Writing love letters every night. Kind words. Loving words. With my dear Jeanne, in the last years of her life, I experienced romance without the usual sexual acts. Just from Jeanne’s presence. From a sense of spirit. A bond built over our 40 years together. A pervasive and deep love. And Alzheimer’s didn’t diminish that love. It enhanced the love. It tested that love. I had to find new ways of loving Jeanne. Of expressing my love. Ways I had never dreamed of before. I began to explore the notion of unconditional love. And there’s nothing more romantic than that. Makes me a romantic idealist. –Jim Broede