Anyway ... Because

A little bit ago I was introduced to a newish musical, I Love You Because. The music is decent, lyrics are clever … not a complete waste of time. However, this is not a review of said musical. Rather a post regarding my thoughts on the title song.

How often does it cross our mind, “Oh, well, I love you anyway,” after our love one does something illogical or perhaps something contrary to what we would normally do. This “I love you anyway” causes, I believe, an underlying frustration in a relationship. I believe it is undermining to the one you care so much about and in the end it causes rifts between two people.

You disagree? Let’s look at an example or two. Let’s suppose your fiancée is habitually late. You kiss her on the top of her head as she finally meets you at lunch and she begins her apology. “Don’t fret, I love you anyway.” Certainly the constant tardiness in life could wear on someone. But if in your mind you understand why she is late, whether its because she is preparing for the day by packing the picnic for your lunch or making herself beautiful for you, you LOVE HER BECAUSE of it all. See the difference? Not yet?

Okay, so he loves sports. He could spend all day long in front of ESPN Classics watching football games from before he could walk. You indicate to him that you’d like to go to the library for a reading by a local man, Kurt Vonnegut. He lovingly replies, “I’ll stay here but thanks.” You blop a kiss on the top of his head and as you walk out with a bit of underlining irritation you say “Love you anyway.” But if you understand that sports to him is like that Vonnegut novel to you, that sports are his way of unwinding from the day that caused serious stress as he’s trying to make the living that funds all of those books on your bookshelf … he hasn’t asked you to memorize the ’83 Bears Roster, he knows you have no interest in that, so? You LOVE HIM BECAUSE of it all, not in spite of it all.



If I can speak of anything at all in this life it is feeling love and it is clear when someone loves me anyway or loves me because. I come with my fair share of quirks and imperfections ~ no need to share. I will be the first to acknowledge that I have much to work on but when I am loved for who I am rather than for what you can put up with … that is a love that is hard to walk away from.