The other day I came across a quote shared from the one and only Bob Marley. It resonated with me a great deal because its the truth. Not only did I totally agree with his words, felt it had a true connection to my life. These are the words of wisdom:

“If she is amazing, she won’t be easy. If she’s easy, she won’t be amazing. If she’s worth it, you won’t give up. If you give up, you’re not worthy… Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for”. ~ Bob Marley

Some may read this and say, true love doesn’t involve suffering or getting hurt and it shouldn’t be too hard. Well, you are wrong. Life is not a fairytale and neither is love. No relationship is easy. When I look back on just the few relationships in my life where I was actually in love with the person, they were all challenging. And some were even crazy at times. Sure, you will love a lot of people in your lifetime, and of course I have, but the few that were monumental are the ones that greatly contributed to who you are today. They are the ones which helped you grow and evolve as a person as well as helping you to learn what you need and want in a relationship.

I can say for sure that I’ve never been easy. It’s not that I am a difficult person to be with, I just have a multi faceted personality and bring a lot to the table. There were times where the person I was with never gave up on our love, as did I, and others where ending it was the right choice. And sometimes you just have to deal with the fact that you can be in love with someone but you are not meant to be together. It happens all the time and I know first hand how it feels. And Marley knows what he is talking about when he says everyone hurts you, because its true. It’s all a matter of who is worth suffering for and how much you can take. It’s a testament of patience, loyalty, and love – to know if the one you are with is worth all the hard work.

It all comes down to experience and learning through growth. I have had many challenges thrown at me, in all aspects of my life. And since a child, I was always curious  to see and taste the world around me. Because of this I’ve experienced a lot, like many other people. Sharing what I have been through with others has always been something I felt obligated to do. For it’s only the ones who have overcome that can inspire and help others.

As far as love, I believe we can never know if we were meant to be with someone forever, because people eventually change and everything always comes to an end. But I do know that who we choose to be with, prove to be the right ones over time. You simply can’t know in a month or a year, if it will truly last. But after you’ve both lived life together and taken on challenges as a team, your experience will speak volumes.

My husband Dan and I have been together for 5 years and married a little over a year. We have been through a great deal together since we met back in the summer of 2008.   I’ve never dreamed of getting married like many other girls. My success as an artist was always number one. But when I shared my vows with Dan on our wedding day, I was honest and true with every word. Below is a photo of our vows along with my bouquet, which I preserved. I treasure these very much because they are a testament to our relationship and the start of a new chapter of our lives together.

Neither of us has given up on each other and I feel we have both suffered enough in this relationship, as Marley states, for it to last years to come. All I can say for sure is that our connection will grow with each day and our love shall keep us strong. I believe we have created a foundation that will guide us when we are lost and provide comfort when we need it. For true love has no boundaries. And when you realize the true worth of that love, happiness overcomes the suffering.