OK, the movie The Holiday was out in 2006 and it took me this long to see it. The truth is, I’m no fan of romance movies. It’s not that I hate them, but for some weird reason I avoid them like plague and choose to embrace those crash bang action movies that do not require me to think. That speaks alot about my personality. I’m not those ‘confrontational’ type.

The Holiday opening line:

I’ve found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said “Journeys end in lovers meeting.” What an extraordinary thought. Personally, I have not experienced anything remotely close to that, but I am more than willing to believe Shakespeare had. I suppose I think about love more than anyone really should. I am constantly amazed by its sheer power to alter and define our lives. It was Shakespeare who also said “love is blind”. Now that is something I know to be true. For some quite inexplicably, love fades; for others love is simply lost. But then of course love can also be found, even if just for the night. And then, there’s another kind of love: the cruelest kind. The one that almost kills its victims. Its called unrequited love. Of that I am an expert. Most love stories are about people who fall in love with each other. But what about the rest of us? What about our stories, those of us who fall in love alone? We are the victims of the one sided affair. We are the cursed of the loved ones. We are the unloved ones, the walking wounded. The handicapped without the advantage of a great parking space! Yes, you are looking at one such individual. And I have willingly loved that man for over three miserable years! The absolute worst years of my life! The worst Christmas’, the worst Birthday’s, New Years Eve’s brought in by tears and valium. These years that I have been in love have been the darkest days of my life. All because I’ve been cursed by being in love with a man who does not and will not love me back. Oh god, just the sight of him! Heart pounding! Throat thickening! Absolutely can’t swallow! All the usual symptoms.

You know, few years back, I would have broken down and cry hearing this opening line. I can really identify the thoughts and the feeling of loneliness when the holiday season approaches. No time brings out the helplessness and loneliness in one’s life than the holidays. If I do not know better, I would have thought they stole my life story and reciting them in the movie opening. I’m happily married today and you know what, hearing this opening line still bring tears to my eyes.

Tears of gratification.

I’m just so thankful I’m sitting in front of the TV watching this with a man who loves me by my side.