The difference between romance and love

In this NPR article, a very touching and outstanding story about two people who lived through a cancer diagnosis, until the person with the diagnosis passed away one week after their engagement at the age of 36.

I made the following comment to the person who posted this article on her Facebook page...

My father, when he was first diagnosed with lung cancer back in 2004, would have never known he had it if he didn't break his leg. It was a medium sized tumor, but the damage was done - by September 2005 it had spread to his spine, his brain, and everywhere else. But the greatest thing of it all - he never let anyone feel sorry for him. He still joked about things and kept as lucid as possible until his last days, which were filled with hallucinations, focal seizures, and goodbyes. We even had an Irish wake for him the day before he died.

When you think about it, though, it's a true test of love and friendship to sustain and stick by those in their darkest hours. We may pay the price by losing our loved ones, but we won't count the cost of what we sacrificed to get there. But the memories remain, and that's the real gifts they leave behind.

The difference between love and romance is that we make ourselves attractive for romance, but for love, attractiveness doesn't matter. It's that willingness to show up and support your loved one when they need you the most. That endurance makes a giant difference.