LOVE STORIES-ACT TWO: Stories Of Fearlessness, Healing, and LOVE

"MY HERO"
You are 36 years old and just found out every woman’s fear…you have breast cancer. You have to have a mastectomy and chemotherapy…..that was me several years ago….young and frightened and wondering how my husband would handle it. Well, he was absolutely my hero….he stood by my side every minute…every treatment…..he will always be my………Valentine!

"MY LOVE STORY"
My love story begins about 10 years ago whilst in my first marriage.... I had married at the tender age of 19, blinded by lust, hope and dreams...I moved, with this man, from England (and the arms of my beloved mum and family) to the other side of the world, to his home, Australia. Here we began to make a life, which, at first was fun, exciting and full of dreams. I became pregnant and things went downhill fast. I was very ill while pregnant and then suffered terrible post natal depression after my son was born. We had no money for me to 'go home' and I was very lonely and depressed. Things went from bad to worse when I woke up one day and realised that I was a victim of domestic violence.

I don't remember when it began but I remember the day that it ended. It was the middle of the night and I had been thrown down the stairs and now my head was being bashed against the cold tiles. As I opened my eyes, I looked up and saw my (then) 6 year old son's terrified, wet little eyes pleading with his father to 'stop hurting mummy'. Love and protection came from nowhere and I felt an overwhelming sense of instinct to take this child and run....which is exactly what I did.

Things were tough and the next few years were a haze of counsellors, court, violence orders, police and fear.....

I decided I had a choice....this man could make me a victim for the rest of my life or...I could chose to live. I chose to live! I enrolled at University, made some fabulous friends and started, for the first time in my life, to believe in myself.

I never ever thought that I would trust a man again...I never thought I would love again....I never thought I wanted any of that again and I knew that I would never ever allow myself to be treated like that again. I had a few 'dates'/'boyfriends' over the years but my life was my son.

I graduated with top marks as an occupational therapist, I was awarded University prizes, I became a member of an International Honours society and for the first time in my life I felt empowered. I collected my certificate at the graduation ceremony and looked up to see my mum in the audience with tears rolling down her face - she was so proud and so was I.

I bought my own house, I finished a post graduate degree and am now in the process of starting my own private practice. My son is a beautiful, kind and well rounded young man of nearly 15 years old. I am so proud of him...and me!

I met XXX last year and fell absolutely and wholly in love with him almost as soon as I met him. He has taught me what real love is (sounds cheesy, I know) but I didn't love my first husband - I know that now. Now that I feel this deep and complete love for XXX - we laugh every single day, we still stare into each others eyes (and I am sure I can see his soul) - I finally feel so completely loved. We just want to be with each other..that's it, that's all.

So, my love story is long and it's taken me a long time to have my own love story - my love story is a love that means absolution...and more than anything, I know how lucky we are as I know that some people will never have what we have so every day I give thanks for my life and my love.

So your jewellery, Rachel, has so much meaning for me which is why I love it so much- I have pieces that I relate to, that my life relates to - The pieces say so much and remind me of how far I have come, how I overcame so many things to be the person that I am now. How I have no regrets, only lessons and how I wouldn't change a single moment.
That is my love story - my love story with myself, my son and XXX

"MY ANGEL"
I have Lupus and on one particularly bad day, my husband and children wanted to go for a walk. I decided that I was not going to miss out on that experience with them, so off we went. I was walking slowly and in some pain when a woman who I had not noticed before was walking towards me. As we started to pass each other on the sidewalk, she stopped me. She looked into my eyes and said “everything is going to be alright, I will pray for you” she then continued down the sidewalk. I stood there stunned, and yet, somehow, I knew everything would be alright. Whenever I am feeling down, I think of her and smile. She will forever be "My Angel"


"MY WIFE"
In august of last year my wife was very sick. She ended up in the ICU where I stayed with her quite a bit. At one point they decided to put a central line in her to give her treatments. I stayed and was watching the procedure and was holding her hand. During it all of a sudden she stopped breathing and coded. As they called a code I was pushed towards the back of the room and could only sit there and watch as they revived her. After that that they could hardly get me to leave her room no matter what was going on or how I felt. That was the closest I ever came to losing her and the msot scared in my life I ever was.

"MY FAMILY"
I know that love is real because, i was pregnant in ’07 and i was so very sad and depressed, my boyfriend and i were into a huge fight, my family and i werent getting along and nothing seemed to be going right. Then on the morning of Feb. 14th, my water broke! it was a miracle! My family came together, my fiance and i put our issues aside, and my beautiful little boy was born! So Valentines Day will ALWAYS be a huge day in my life and in my family! It brings happiness and pushed aside all of our troubles :)

"LOVE AMONG AGONY"
I was violently assaulted a year and half ago. My husband and son have helped me so much. They have stuck by me through all of the fear and anger. I am still in recovery. I feel so horrible that my experience has turned their life upside down. I don’t know if I’ll ever work again. I used to be super mom. cook, clean and work 40 hrs a week. Now I need help with every aspect of my life. My husband has taken on 2 jobs and my son is schooling from home to help take care of me. I feel so worthless and useles. I’m slowing getting used to being a different person. It’s such a slow process. They deserve a break from all of this. A mom is supposed to take care of her child. A wife is supposed to be there for her husband. I pray for strength everyday. I’m so thankful and fortunate to be loved so much.

"LOVE HIM EVEN WHEN WE ARE LOSING EVERYTHING"
My husband had been out of work for over a year without receiving pay. Our first new car was about to be repoIssessed. I wanted out of the situation, wanted to be whisked away to somewhere beautiful and warm to forget about my problems for awhile. But the amazing thing is that we are still in love, after more than 10 years. Life is going well for us again, and I am so happy that I stuck out those hard times with a man that I love and think of as a friend.


"IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH"
My hubby has had knee replacement surgery and has been “under foot” since 11/09 He constantly says to me that I must love him or I would not put up with what he is going through. I love him even more for recognizing that.


"LOVE ONLINE"
My husband and I met online a few years ago. We emailed each other for almost a year before we finally met, feel in love,got married and have 2 beautiful children. I’m sure by now you’ve probably heard of many such stories but to me it’s very profound. I met him at a stage in my life when I was very low and going through lots of very hard times. If it were not for him I truly would of been dead today. My life is owed to him and his beautiful heart and soul. His love and my children are my blessings from our marriage. Everyday, and I mean EVERYDAY, I thank God for him, my beautiful happy loving children and for my breathe and the second chance to life with such love. I never take life for granted, I see the world so differently and only with love and compassion. I am a different person since meeting him and it was because of him, the fact that he accepted me with all my faults and guided me in the right direction, allowing me to do what ever I needed to do in my own time, that I am the person I am today.If it were not for the internet, for online dating, I would never of known the beauty of which life is all about. My life will has been forever changed and I can’t wait to see what my new future holds.

"HOW MUCH JEWELRY CAN I BUY WITH 8 PENNIES"
Last year, our home was burglarized and almost all the jewelry I had collected over my life, including my mom’s jewelry, was stolen (among other things). I discovered the break-in upon arriving home with my twin 3-year-old daughters. The burglary made quite an impression on the girls because they had never seen me cry before. This month, when the girls turned 4 years old, they both got little piggy banks as a birthday present from one of their friends. I let each of them have a handful of pennies to put in their piggy banks. After dancing around, shaking their piggy banks in the air, one of my daughters said to me, “I’m going to buy you new jewelry!” Then she asked me to take the bottom out of the bank and she proceeded to count her pennies. After we determined that she had 8 pennies, she aske me, “how much jewelry can I buy with 8 pennies?” And then I gave her a big hug!