Inspired -- (finally!)

I am ashamed of how long it took me to sit down and actually write this post out, but it has been stewing in me for about two weeks now so it is about time I share it.

I consider myself to be a fairly crafty person - give me a hammer and I can hang it, give me a staple gun and I can upholster it, give me a thread and I can sew it - but there are certain jobs that require an extra hand in order to finish the project.

Recently, I was inspired by the structure of the stool. The stool is one of the few pieces of furniture that functions on three legs and still serves its purpose fully. The metaphorical perspective behind the structure of a stool is what truly inspired me.

A good friend of mine was talking about the stool as the structure of love. Imagine a couple when they first begin their life journey together. To make their love work, they must build it. Each day, week, month and year these two people work together to build upon their love.

The first leg of the stool represents committment. Together as they make a committment to each other they are building this leg, sanding, widdling and cutting it to the right length.

The second leg is passion. This leg is built with desire to please one another - in the sack and otherwise. With the committment and passion leg attached - the relationship can function, but still isn't quite there.

The last leg is intimacy. The leg is so representative of what makes relationships more than just friendships or more than just sex. While passion gives relationships the fire, the intimacy is what fills you with warmth.

With all three legs built up and working together - two people can truly have love. But like anything made with wood - the stool needs care and attention. Love needs are and it needs your attention.

I believe this metaphor is something that should be marketed to young people in relationships - so we can stop quitting when things get tough and start learning to treat our love with respect by caring for it the way we would for a piece of woodwork we spent so much time to craft.