Chapter 4
let me continue today about how the love has grown between Shirley and I .
After several months of pure bliss with the newly found love of my life , I had to return to Canada to attend to business . Problem was that Shirley could not attain the permit to come with me at that time. Pure and simple , that sucked . I had finally met the girl of my dreams and we had to part .
The next 8 months all we could do was call , text or chat on skype . I missed snuggling with her , looking deep into her eyes and the touch of her soft skin . The way she giggled when I tickled her , and even the look of death she gave me when I pissed her off, lol. It was unbearable at times , but what got me through was knowing that I loved her , she loved me and that one day we would be together all the time .
In December of 2013 , I was able to return . The first time I was able to touch her again, I knew the feelings I had for her would last forever .
but, I am afraid this story , like most storys had some dark chapters.
With my desire to eventually stay in the philippines full time , we had got involved in several business ventures in order to develop a stable income in this country . Running these businesses kept Shirley and I busy 15 hours a day and stressed out . We were constantly fighting , and never spending any quality time together . All talk was about business , and when we finally went to bed at night , we were too burned out to hold each other in our arms and caress , cuddle and share our love .
There were many times during that period that we almost gave up on our relationship .
The magic seemed to be gone!
Chapter 5
So , last I wrote , the magic seemed to be gone between Shirley and I ! But to be truthful , I now realize it was still there but in a different form . It is easy to be in a relationship when all things are roses , but life isn't like that . For me , Shirley or anyone else . That is a fact and a reality ! The true test of love is what is done when things are difficult .
For us , no matter how hard things were , our love for each other was the one constant and unbreakable thing .
Now, like for everything in this world that is worthwhile , the real work had to begin.
I cannot speak for Shirley on this but quickly , I will tell you what I learned.
I had to change. Changing myself was all I had control over. I could not change her , or anyone else for that matter. So, I had to take a long look at myself in the mirror with humility , and be honest about what I saw . What I saw hurt . I was far from perfect , lol , but so what . For me , there is no shame in making mistakes and having character defects , only shame in seeing them , and not doing anything about it .
Since then , I have worked on change in myself . It doesn't happen all at once and it will never be complete , but for any chance of a lasting and satisfying relationship it is necessary that I keep at it .
I must stress that I had to stop focusing on what Shirley had to do to make the relationship better and concentrate solely on what I could do . That was all I ever have control of .
I am fortunate as Shirley has chosen to do the same herself . Since then , our relationship has grown beyond beyond our wildest dreams , and I believe it will continue to grow as long as we do the work necessary to nurture it . Our relationship is maturing .
well,, enough for now ! if you are still interested ,lol, check back and you can read about the wedding !!!!!
Gord