I love a good story. I love love-songs that tell stories that are filled with drama, mystery, honesty, hope, grit, tension, release, passion, tenderness, love, restoration, and redemption.

My all-time favorite love songs/stories combine lots of these elements and finish with a happy-ending. My heart beats loudly for happy-endings and breaks without a sound when there’s an emotional turbulence. (Hmm, maybe that’s why I am still addicted to Indian movies).

I am usually edgy and fidgety at the beginning, a nervous wreck when feelings of passion and rage are about to be smashed by just mere words… ‘words that are so deep-seated, sentimentally erotic and nerve racking whimsical!

Aha! This is the part where I uncontrollably ball out in tears! The storyline gets to me, whether good or bad. I still get to wipe away a tear, sniffle through the self-acquired misery on behalf of my adopted cast. My enchanted moment!

Eventually, I bounce back to life wondering, Wow! Seriously? ‘Could this be real? ‘true love still exist? why does falling in love have to be so dramatic? ‘or expressing love have to be so painful? When we sing those leisurely played love songs, do we really mean it? I mean like…word for word? Unconditionally? Not like ‘you scratch my back, and I scratch yours too world”? Or are we just residing in a borrowed fairy tale world? Where our words do not align with our actions. ‘More like perfect strangers in a labyrinth drill? Emotion-free!

I remember when Disney’s Aladdin was released in 1992, my friends and I were totally amused by the theme song (A whole new world) and will mime to the lyrics courageously, like we knew exactly the power of love, ‘not that we had it dedicated to anyone special in particular, ‘it was just another karaoke event for us, but the lyrics were just so soothing and comfortable for anyone hoping to fall in love one day!

It was indeed splendid! I mean, ‘why wouldn’t a-young gal dream of flying on a magic carpet ride, seeing a whole new world with that special guy who can literally operate a magical carpet with his feelings! Remember folks! No mechanical experience needed here!! Fantasy or not. This is utopian! The real maudlin feeling that’s simply romantic! Ah! Tell me, ‘what else does a girl want? LOL!

So, there have been days in my life that have been heavy on the tension and light on the release of still believing in fairy tales. Moments when I’ve felt deep pain and longed for deep peace, hating those fairy tale stories. Weeks when hope evaded my heart because I had chosen to turn from God’s way and defiantly chose Yinka’s way (to live in a fairy tale world) Season’s when I felt like I had messed up so bad that a happy-ending for my life was simply impossible. I’d felt like one of the characters in the book I read and those deep romantic love songs.

Have you ever felt that way? Like there was a great chasm between your life and a happy-ending? Have you ever felt like you were in a situation, relationship or condition that was un-healable, un-helpable, and un-redeemable? I think we all have. If we are still honest with ourselves.

We all have that perfect love song hidden somewhere inside of us, never used our vocals to express it, but always nursing the lyrics, because they apply to us, it dictates exactly what we are going through and how we are feeling about someone or something.

One word: LOVE. Perfect, unconditional, doesn’t-matter-who-you-are-or-where-you’ve-been-or-what-you’ve-done love. God made a new and living way for our wounded hearts to be restored … so that everyone of us could experience deep peace, love, forgiveness, and hope.

What’s your happy-ending story? Still living in a fairy tale world? Hoping you will embrace true love in an authentic world as we begin to count down to the few days remaining in 2015. If you are reading this, remember I love you more and I sincerely mean it. Happy Holidays.

Yours in HOPE as I share my favorite love song/story as Aladdin takes Jasmine on a magical carpet ride. “A Whole New World” (musical recording by Regina Belle and Peabo Bryson).

Yinka