Friday, January 30, 2009

If Only..................

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I Love thee .....Let me count the ways...............When Elizabeth Barrett married Robert Browning her father disowned her. For ten years, Elizabeth wrote love letters to him seeking RECONCILIATION, but with no reply. Then one day a large box arrived in the mail from him. Excitedly, she opened it, only to find all of her letters to him UNOPENED and UNREAD!

Today we recognize Elizabeth's love letters as some of the most beautiful in all of classical English literature. The relationship with her father was never restored as far as we know even though Elizabeth diligently tried with all her HEART.

Elizabeth and Robert Browning had a long loving marriage in spite of her father's opposition and they bore one son, Pen,who never had any children of his own so that ended the BROWNING family tree.

Restoring relationships is NOT easy and requires DEATH TO ONESELF, obedience to GOD and love of others. It takes CHRISTLIKENESS.

If only Mr. Barrett had found in his heart to restore his relationship with his daughter , his life would have taken on a new dimension of JOYFULNESS instead of BITTERNESS.

How do I love thee? LET US ALL count the ways and be FORGIVING and less judgemental........................<><

7 comments:

Bo said...

What a sad story that her father missed out on sharing joy with his daughter...bitterness robs one of so much in life! ;-) Bo

Joyce said...

Oh what a very sad story. I guess I wear blinders just like the unforgiving person, because I can't understand how someone's heart could be so hard and unforgiving. To be disowned by your parents is a hard rejection to swallow.
I never heard of her story. I'm hoping if someone reads one of her letters or story and carries a harden heart theirs will soften.
Thank you for sharing this story. xoxo

Paul Pincus said...

sad, haunting, and beautiful.

great post. cheers, -paul

vicki archer said...

So well said Mimilee - to be judgmental is truly a curse. xv

cotedetexas said...

So sad!!!!

thank you Mimilee for all your sweet comments - I always enjoy them.

site said...

Ian Wyndham (Nicholls) is a English businessman who lives with his musician girlfriend, Samantha Andrews (Hewitt) in London. Ian takes Sam for granted making Sam feeling vulnerable in the role of the one who loves more. Taking us through a day in Ian and Sam's life, the film opens by showing different events such as Sam getting burnt on a kettle, Ian's watch breaking, Sam getting Coca-Cola spilt on her and Ian being interrupted by Sam during an important meeting at work. (She had mistakenly thought that Ian had forgotten his presentation folder at home, when in fact it was just another similar but less important folder.)

harada57 said...
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