Loving Cupid

The aspect of the story of Cupid and Psyche that I found most intriguing was the idea of falling in love with love. Although it seems that Psyche does in fact love her "invisible lover" before she sees him, in the moment that she pricks her finger quite she literally falls in love with love. Not only is this something that I found ironic, but I found it quite comical. Of course while doing the one act that she was specifically instructed not to do, Psyche seals her own fate of unrequited love. For although Cupid very likely has the ability to love, love most definitely does not have the ability to return that which she feels for it.

After giggling to myself for a bit and thinking the whole scene over, I realised that this too has a place in the present. I feel like so many people these days, especially those who marry very young, are actually in love with the idea of love rather than the person that they marry. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that all young marriages are bound to fail, but statistically speaking there is a good chance. The divorce rate has sky rocketed in the last millennium, and it is difficult to say why exactly. I believe that part of the reason has to do with people being in love with love.

Throughout their lives women are bombarded by images of the wonders of "true" love. Look at almost all of the Disney films. In literally all of them the girl gets the boy that she wants and they live happily ever after. Cinderella is treated terribly by her step mother and sisters. She is not allowed to partake in any town activities and is most definitely not invited to the balls. However, with he help of a fairy god mother she is able to attend the ball and gain the love of a prince. After a number of trials and tribulations they are once again united and they live happily ever after in his castle. This theme is found throughout Disney movies, The Golden Ass, and much of today's pop culture. A girl grows up dreaming about the "prince" that will one day sweep her off her feet. She starts planning her wedding at the age of six and continues to do so until the day that she says her first I do's. This of course starts all over again when she finds that the husband she chose does not have such princely characteristics and there is no such thing as "happily ever after"in real life. Both love and relationships take work. Couple always go through bad times, it is a natural part of life, and they must work through it together. I feel like so many people today get into a serious relationship today because they want to experience love. It is not because they truly love the person that they are with, but they trick themselves into thinking that they do. As soon as a hole in their love bubble forms though, the relationship is over.

Love is a beautiful thing. There is nothing that makes you feel better than seeing an elderly couple that still hold hands and that have that look in their eye. It fills you with warmth and desire to have what they have. I am not a cynic when it comes to love, I most definitely believe in true love, but I think that people today need to be more aware that the love presented in the fairy tales is not reality. Such things implant false illusions in our mind from our childhood on, and we must attempt to see them for what they are. Falling in love with love will surely always leave us disappointed, and it can never help get you through hard times like the love of a person.