"I've made a lot of sacrifices, a lot of hard choices; for honor, for King, for country. You wanna know what I've learned, boy? Hard choices and sacrifices do not keep you warm at night. Life is too damn short and too damn long to go through without someone at your side. Don't end up like me. Choose the woman. Fight for love, D'Artagnan. France will take care of itself."  ~Athos (The Three Musketeers) 

Perhaps it is because I have never been chosen that I love this line...  Don't get me wrong, I haven't given up on being truly loved -- I can only be who I am, after all.  I merely confess that it hasn't happened thus far. Still, in my inner-most self it is my most sacred desire. I believe in love. I still hold out hope that it will find me. But it is love that I believe in... not it's self-serving imitations.  Love is not distraction, it is fortitude. Love does not weaken but empowers & shields. Love is the only thing in this world worth the effort of living & I will not give up because I've been wounded a time or two in my search for it. After all, little worth having comes easy...

Song~