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Often songs are poignant because they lament Love’s loss. How sad that we too often take Love for granted and appreciate it only after it is gone. She was physically forgotten/Then she slipped into my pocket/With my car keys, sings Paul Simon.

How sad when most often just a little twist of phrasing, a little thank you, a little appreciation is all we need to keep Love alive and keep it shining in the present moment. Another favorite lyric is Kristofferson’s Loving her is easier than anything I’ll ever do again. I twist it to sing in the present; Kris laments Love in the past: Loving her was easier…. Another lyric of his, another simple twist of mine; The loving is easy it’s the living that’s hard. His version: The loving was easier….

Keep your Love alive! Add the twigs and sticks and limbs and logs to the warm glowing embers of your Love. Fan the fire; reach in close and whisper in her left ear. Sounds simple, but that can be hard to do when she runs the office, juggles the groceries, and drives the teen cabbie hither and yon; all this atop of her duties as: laundress, chef, dish washer, acrobat, cleaning lady, business partner, interior decorator, concierge, hand holder, hugger, mentor, mother, daughter, sister, niece, leader, friend, lover, juggler, sage, maid, guidance counselor, personal shopper, travel agent, budget keeper, errand runner, and family provider, just to name a few.

How do you slip the I Love yous in there and make them count? That’s the task of Love; a note here, a kiss there, a phone call at work. Thoughtfulness. But what if one of you is across country, or out of the country tending to the rest of the family business? What then? How our task then becomes so much more important and so much more difficult. How do we sustain our Love through stress and over distance?

There are phone calls, but they can’t carry the burden alone. Music helps, remind yourself that Loving her is easier than anything you’ve ever done before. More importantly, remind her. Send her a Love song. It’s easy. Earn her Love anew each day. If you can’t be present in person, be present on the phone. Listen to her. She’s alone and struggling and needs her man to say, “It’s ok, baby. It’ll be ok. We’ll get through this.” Or he’s alone and struggling and he needs to hear her say, “It’s ok baby, We’ll get through this.”

Love is very much a two way street. The loving traffic has to flow both ways. When one partner is swamped, the other can pick up the slack. Again, this is a little trickier over distance, but the Internet does help with phone calls, Skype, email, and instant messaging. Don’t forget you can send photos, videos and music. You can sing to her, record it on your phone, and email it. You can photograph your smile for him, and email it. Text him a few times during the day just to touch base. Text her to tell her how much you miss her. Remember, the Loving is easy, it’s the living that’s hard. Remember too, that living’s easier with Love. Keep your Love alive.

How do you keep your Love alive during stressful times, or over distance?