Romance: The Little Things

We all tend to think of romance as those big things.  Weddings come to mind first.  What better way to celebrate the love between two people?  Next come  Honeymoons, Valentine's Day, Anniversaries and all those things that have become big deals in our society.  Candy and flowers, hearts and cupids.  Those are the things we've been taught to think about when the word "romance" is mentioned.

I'll step forward and come clean.  I've been divorced for 13 years, after being married for 25 years, so romance hasn't been a part of my life for a long time.  To be really honest, it wasn't before, either.  And yet, I continue to write romance.  Why?  Because, after much thinking and soul searching, I still believe in happily-ever-afters.  They really are possible and happen more often than we realize.  People who understand romance will have more of it in their lives.

So what is romance?  It's the little things.  It's a special connection between two people that doesn't happen with many others.  It's a touch, a smile, an "I miss you," a pillow fluffed, a phone call or text message or note, just to say, "I'm thinking of you."  It's an understanding of ourselves and another person on a level that isn't often reached.

Romance involves the heart, not only the quickening beat of it when we see that special someone, but a peace and calm within us.  A special kind of happy.  It involves love and caring.  Romance is always there, even when we aren't experiencing it.  It isn't just the grand gestures, but the little ones.  A look, a sigh, a twinkle in the eye.  It's caring about another person.

Romance can happen at any age.  Children experience it with a first crush.  Teenagers then experience it at a higher level.  Young adults, mid-life adults and older adults sometimes get the hang of it.  It can be learned by watching how others--especially parents--interact, day to day.  Some people simply seem to be born with a romantic soul.

Do I miss romance?  Sometimes.  But writing romance keeps me in touch with it.  Writing it has given me a much better view of it, and if I should be lucky enough to see it in my own life, I'd grab it in a New York minute. *grin*

Here's to Romance!  And for all the romantics out there, August is Read-A-Romance Month.  Pick up a romance novel by your favorite author, and immerse yourself in romance.  It will make you smile. :)