Didn't you know how much I loved you during "hurricane season?"

"Young love, strong love, true love
It's a new love
They're gonna make it through the hard times
Walk those lines
Yeah, these ties will bind
Young love"

I said that there would be a serious of posts based on the chorus of the Judds' song "Young Love" Well, let the series begin! Tonight, we are gonna talk about how love "makes it through the hard times." Sadly, a lot of love never makes it through the hard times. Why is that so? I think that question can be answered just by looking at the lyrics for Kellie Pickler's song, "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You?"

Here they are:

"Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"

I remember the way you made love to me
Like I was all you'd ever need
Did you change your mind
Well I didn't change mine
Now here I am trying to make sense of it all
We were best friends now we don't even talk
You broke my heart
Ripped my world apart

Didn't you know how much I loved you
Didn't you know how much I loved you, baby
I gave you everything, every part of me
Didn't you feel it when I touched you
Didn't I rock you when I loved you, baby
Baby, tell me
Didn't you know how much I loved you

I can't get you out of my head
I still feel you in this bed
Left me all alone
You couldn't be more gone
From falling apart to fighting mad
From wanting you back to not giving a damn
I've felt it all
I've been to the wall

Didn't you know how much I loved you
Didn't you know how much I loved you, baby
I gave you everything, every part of me
Didn't you feel it when I touched you
Didn't I rock you when I loved you, baby
Baby, tell me
Didn't you know how much I loved you

One day justice will come and find you
And I'll be right there in your memory to remind you

Didn't you know how much I loved you
Didn't you know how much I loved you, baby
I gave you everything, every part of me
Didn't you feel it when I touched you
Didn't I rock you when I loved you, baby
Baby, tell me

Didn't you know how much I loved you
Didn't you know how much I loved you, baby
I gave you everything, every part of me
Didn't you feel it when I touched you
Didn't I rock you when I loved you, baby
Baby, tell me
I gave you everything, every part of me

May none of us ever have to say, "Didn't you know how much I loved you?" Sometimes though, people forget how much they are loved by their spouse. Why does this happen? Often times, it's the hard times that we allow to cause this to happen. When people go through hard times, they often look at other sources for happiness and forget that their true happiness is right where they left it-with their spouse, their best friend. Why do people forget where their true happiness is? I think the answer to that is simple. People forget where their true happiness is simply because they don't want to be happy. They don't allow themselves to be happy. In order to be happy, one must decide that he or she will allow others into their life that will make them happy.

BUT

The good news is the hard times don't have to mean the end of an everlasting love. Take a look at the lyrics to this song by Tanya Tucker:

"Two Sparrows In A Hurricane"

She's fifteen and he's barely driving a car
She's got his ring and he's got the keys to her heart
It's just matter of time
They'll spread their wings and fly

[CHORUS:]
two sparrows in a hurri-cane
Trying to find their way
With a head full of dreams
and faith that can move anything
They've heard it's all uphill
But all they know is how they feel
The world says they'll never make it, love says they will

There's a baby crying and one more on the way
There's a wolf at the door with a big stack of bills
They can't pay
The clouds are dark and the wind is high
But they can see the other side

[go to chorus]

She's eighty-three and he's barely driving a car
She's got his ring and he's got the key to her heart
It's just a matter of time
They'll spread their wings and fly

[go to chorus 2]

[CHORUS 2:]
Like two sparrows in a hurri-cane
Trying to find their way
With a head full of dreams
and faith that can move anything
They've heard it's all uphill
But all they know is how they feel
The world says they'll never make it, love says they will

Sometimes there's hurricanes in life and sometimes during those hurricanes we have no choice but to fit the mold of a sparrow. However, we have the choice to fly. You see, love takes work, in the good times and the bad times. It's not something you can take lightly. The song says "like two sparrows in a hurricane TRYING to find their way." We've got to try to make things work. Even when "they say it's all uphill." We can't listen to other people. We have to go with "how we feel." The heart doesn't lie folks. If you know how you truly feel inside, hard times will never destroy your true love for someone. The hard times will, however, be a testament to you willingness to show how much you love someone. The hard times will be a testament to how you "spread your wings and fly" in the "hurricanes" of  your love life. Then, as the years go by, perhaps she'll be "eighty-three" and he'll be "barely driving a car" and she'll "have his ring" and he'll have "the key to her heart." Isn't that what love is about?

Tonight, the measure of a man or woman can sometimes be found in the way in which their love endures the hard times. Is your love ready for "hurricane season?"

That, my friends, is just a few thoughts from a small town southern man!