Seeing the trailer for "The Notebook" in no way prepares you for the heart-wrenching story that is to come. Going in, I knew only that it was a love story told through a notebook to a dying woman...

The movie was not about the love story in the notebook. The notebook, written by the girl-woman-heroine of the story, was more than a memoir. It was the 'magic' two soulmates used to connect and combat the degeneration of the body. How sad that two lives lived in/with/for love should gradually end with blank stares, polite yet reserved conversation, and terrified screams of unrecognition. Yes, you should pack your tissues for this one, folks. There were few dry eyes in the theater when the lights came up.

Like most young people, I never thought much about what the end of my life would be like. But as I get older I think about it more. Especially because I have found my soulmate, and with him I have a home that I love and cherish. I can no longer imagine my life without him, and the days before we met grow dim until it seems we have been together always. I look forward to the next 40+ years with hope, and try not to dwell on how our mortal lives will end. I thank God for what I have and do my best to nurture and enjoy it while we're here.