My Favorite 'Love Story' Movies: #9

A Walk To Remember - Starring:  Mandy Moore & Shane West

IMDB Link: A Walk To Remember

8Track Love Movie Playlist

My favorite song from the movie:  Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Garden

Why I love the movie:  Some people question the ability of young people to love for real.  They call it puppy love, a crush.  They minimize it and say you'll love many times in your life, this is only the first time.  I think we forget what it's like to be that young and to give everything we have to love.  We are not yet jaded as we withhold aspects of ourselves.  We havn't learned how to play games yet with love.  When we are young, we are trusting and generous with our emotions and showing them.  We're fearless as we jump.  We are simply - free. 

This movie shows the beauty of young love.  It shows how love can change us, make us better people.  It shows that yes, another person can be responsible for our happiness with just their presence in our life.  It also shows the wrenching sadness of watching someone that we love who is ill.  And their process of death.  But it does it in such a way as to make life and even the end of it a joy to behold because of unselfish acts in being there for someone, in making those last days special, making dreams come true.

Most adults can watch this movie and be taught a thing or two about true love, how pure it can be.  What it means to really put someone else before yourself.  If we allow it to while we watch, it can take us back to our own first love and being young, remembering when maybe we were a better version of ourselves because we were innocent & vulnerable.

My Favorite 'Love Story' Movies: #12

P.S. I Love You - Starring:  Gerard Butler & Hillary Swank

IMDB Link: P.S. I Love You

8Track Love Song Playlist

My favorite song from the movie:  No Other Love by Chuck Prophet

Why I love the movie:  We all want to be remembered.  We wonder how we'll be remembered.  What memories did we make that were special to our children, our spouse?  Is there a brother, a sister or even a parent to remember us as a chubby child with a dirty face?  A friend to remember us as an awkward teenager that was full of potential to be an amazing adult?

It's not about sadness, grief or mourning.  We would much rather our loved ones celebrate the life we had and keep us alive in their memories with stories told to our grandchildren and great grandchildren.

The first moment this movie shattered me was after Gerry passed away, Holly kept calling his phone just to hear his voice on the voicemail message.  I sat, curled in a chair, sobbing until my ribs hurt.  We want to be remembered for the big things, or who we were as people, but it's something as small as our voice that is truly needed by those we leave behind. 

How Gerry has planned the year after his death to help his wife get on with her life is special and remarkable.  It's obvious he knew her even better than she knew herself to take her through each step of grief to acceptance and new love. 

I've included one of my favorite scenes from the movie.  Holly cannot fall sleep alone - it is then that she misses Gerry most.  I think everyone can relate to that.