You don’t have to know me for long or read too much of my writing to figure out that I’ve basically been a hopeless romantic all my life. That trait has been my Achilles heel, but for some people all that romantic stuff works great. They meet the right person, fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. I actually know many, many couples who fit that description and it always makes me smile.
During the last month, four of my most favorite romantic movies have been on television multiple times and I watched them as many times as possible because they also make me feel happy. One of those movies is “The City Of Angels” starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. My most favorite quote from the movie is by Nicolas Cage’s character:
“Seth (Nicholas Cage) speaking about Dr. Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan): I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. One.”
~ City of Angels (1998) ~
Did you read that quote fast?
Did it really soak into the romantic part of your soul?
Let’s try it this way…
I would rather have had one breath of her hair,
one kiss of her mouth,
one touch of her hand,
than eternity without it.
One.
Love is a beautiful emotion AND commitment. It can bring about both happiness or heartache beyond compare. It can make your soul soar above the clouds or wrench in a pain worse than death.
Your heart loves who it will love no matter what your brain tells it to do. Often the heart and brain oppose each other on the subject of love. When that happens, your soul lives in torment in the love war.
In the movie, Seth experiences the ultimate happiness and heartache within a few days time span. The pure and innocent love portrayed brings me to tears every time. This weekend while attending a wedding, I saw young love full of hopes and dreams just like in the movies. It was refreshing, heart warming and made me contemplate my own life history of romantic love. My story isn’t as beautiful.
I have loved in the same way that Seth loves Maggie and maybe that’s why this quote is so touching to me.
“I would rather have had one breath of her hair,
one kiss of her mouth,
one touch of her hand,
than eternity without it.
One.”
If it were my quote, it would be like this…
“I would rather have had one breath of his hair,
one kiss of his mouth,
one touch of his hand,
than eternity without it.
One.”
I’m so glad that I saw romantic love this weekend in the eyes of two very special young people. It made me appreciate that I haven’t become a bitter old woman. Instead, I can still feel thankful that true romantic love exists and can be easily witnessed in couples that hang onto each other through good times and bad times.
Obviously, I find this quote by Seth in “The City Of Angels” extremely romantic and one of the most romantic lines in a movie ever written. The movies, the weddings, the couples I know…I guess all of those things will probably keep me classified as a hopeless romantic for the rest of my life.
Hi Sherry,
I too have always been a hopeless romantic. I was married far too young with stars in my eyes only to find out the relationship was nothing like what I had seen in the movies or dreamed it to be. The only beautiful thing that came from a 27 year marriage was two beautiful daughters. I had given up on love and romance early in my marriage with the harsh realization that romantic love and closeness was simply a fairytale and didn’t really exist. When my girls left the nest all that remained were two people who didn’t know one another and had nothing in common. It was also a marriage filled with verbal abuse. For years I thought my marriage was normal and simply went through the motions of existing everyday. Driving home from work one evening I noticed a new apartment complex being constructed. I remember thinking I wish I could move into one of those apartments because I welcomed living alone rather than continue in a miserable marriage that was becoming volatile. I stepped out in faith and courage leaving that marriage. It was a long, difficult and painful process I won’t get into. A year after the divorce I met my now current husband. The bliss of dating a man that was as enamored with me as I was with him, as well as all of our common interests, was intoxicating. We didn’t want to do anything but spend time together. This man showed me that true love does exist. Chivalry lives on. What I had convinced myself was just a fairytale was happening in real life. We married a year later. The downside to our relationship is when real life sets in and the difficulties that go along with it, i.e. children, stepchildren, grandchildren, etc. Small things hurt much more deeply. After years of sadness and disappointment I have found love. Being together, loving one another and enjoying new experiences sustains us through the rough patches of life.
I’m not sure I stayed on subject Sherry, but I want people who are a little (older) like me to know romance is still alive and well.
Sandy, you said “The bliss of dating a man that was as enamored with me as I was with him, as well as all of our common interests, was intoxicating. We didn’t want to do anything but spend time together. This man showed me that true love does exist. Chivalry lives on.” Then went on to say at the end, “I want people who are a little (older) like me to know romance is still alive and well.”
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I think that at this point of my life I find it hard to believe for myself. I know that it does happen for other people, but in my experience it seems to be very much one-sided. Maybe I’m just meant to be alone and to experience bliss vicariously through other people’s relationships.
I agree with Joan on this one Sherry! 🙂 When you least expect it…..
I hope you both are right, Sandy.
Sherry, you might think of yourself as a hopeless romantic, but I’m a hopeless optimist. I do believe that you will find true love! 🙂
Ha! You just keep on believing that Joan. It will give you something to do other than write. LOL LMBO