Why We Cheat

Because the guy who never thought he was going to – is going to. Because the girl who never thought she’d end up alone, will. Because they got married for love. Because the reason is you, honey. No, the reason is you, babe. Because they fell in love with each other on a first date, and because they loved each other on their best days. But best days are just that – best. They’re not most. They’re some. They’re a few.

Because life is lived in the bad days. Because the bad days are the real ones and the real ones are the ones they weren’t thinking about when they said I do. Because they said “I do” to a person, and people let you down. Always. Because we’re people. And people are nothing if not a flawed dichotomy of good and evil – of utter beauty and heinous bullshit all tangled up in some clothes and makeup and a smile.

Because people are only as good as the cause. Because instincts motivate, but the cause moves and shakes. Because the cause is bigger. It’s bigger than you, honey, and than you, dear. It’s bigger than true love because true love is only as noble as the object of that affection. Because at the end of the day, affection minus cause is no more than a feeling. And the feeling walks away.

Because endurance requires a goal, and hope requires cause. Because these are the higher things. But they won’t know it. Because they’ve been sold it – the lie that is. And the lie is that “you…complete me.”

But you don’t.

Because when the reason is “you” the reason is fallible.

Because when all you have is another person, you’ll be vastly disappointed. Because you’ll find that in the end, they’re a lot like you.

Love demands more.

Love must be more…more than the squeeze box of happy juice uncle Walt sold us in every Disney movie. Because it has to be; we somehow know it ought to be. Because love is patient and kind. At least the Bible tells us so. Love hopes all things, believes all things, endures all things. We know it should.

We just don’t want to do the hard work of believing it.