The way they used to love (?)...

"For years, they did their weekend routine – until 2009 when Anita suffered a stroke. For a while, Anita stopped talking. But one day, she called her husband and talked for one minute just to tell him: “Robert, you are the only man I ever loved in my life.” And then she never talked again." -- from the Philippine Star news article on Anita Magsaysay-Ho

In "The Best and Exotic Marigold Hotel," a wonderful film I recently watched, there was a similar scenario. Graham, the character played by British actor Tom Wilkinson, is that of a retired judge who travels back to India with the hope of repairing a past. When he was much younger, Graham had an affair with an Indian boy. The relationship was put to an end when the guy's parents found out. Graham was sent to another country with the thought that he may have destroyed the life of his lover. Decades have passed, and he makes the journey to find out for himself what has become of his love. He learns the good truth, and in the next few days, Graham moves on (sorry for the spoiler).

What is common among these two stories is that the people involved come from another generation. Sure, one is real life and one is from the movies, but the idealist in me believes that Graham's story is one that has actually happened.

It makes me wonder if people still love in a manner like this today.

Oftentimes, today's generation is accussed of falling in love "differently" from the previous generation. Some blame it on technology. Some blame it on media. There are some who say that because it appears to be "much easier" to find a relationship (or whatever you call it) these days, some choose to give up at the first test that comes the way of the couple.

But again, the idealist in me believes that people who love the way the previous generation "loved" (does this phrase make sense?) still do exist.

Or maybe I'm wrong? Maybe generation has nothing to do with it. Maybe it's really about the person. Some people prolly do spend their lives loving just one person. Some people prolly do spend their lives loving completely just one person.

And for the person who gets to be loved like that, I wonder what he or she feels knowing that. Does he/she feel lucky? Does he/she feel pressured? Does he/she feel guilty (in case, he/she can't love the same way)?

Uhm, I may have a slight idea. LOL!

Random thoughts on a Friday afternoon. Hehe!