True Love?

Ahhh, the thought of true love does seriously warm my heart.  But does it really truly exist?  I suppose if you put two people together that are naturally unselfish and are hardworking and have the same thoughts and desires, then yes, I believe true love does happen. 
On the other hand, I also believe that it takes work to reach that point.  Sure, you may really, really, like someone when you marry them, hey, you may even love them just a little, but is it true love?  Just think of the high rates of divorce and you may wonder...
We forget so easily that not too long ago couples were formed from mutual respect and similar goals.  I remember being disappointed when my grandfather told me why he had chosen my grandmother.  She was a pretty girl and a hard worker...and there were other things as well, but no glowing romantic reviews, just that, plain and simple.  Courtship was short, as was the engagement, and once you were married, that was it.  Not long before that couples were formed by the parents.  It is still practiced in some cultures today.  Amazing how two strangers can live together and bring forth children and still seem happy.  Many people gasp at the thought of not choosing their own mate, but do we really know ourselves well enough at all to do such a thing? 
I believe they were happy because they chose to be happy.  You can't always change the circumstances that you find yourself in, but you can change how you react to them. 
I wonder how many couples enter into marriage with the thought of divorce at the back of their minds.  I wonder how many "irreconcilable differences" could be reconciled if that weren't an option for divorce.  It seems our culture of getting what we want, when we want it has pervaded even into our homes.  If you are not being the spouse we want, then we will divorce and find another spouse.  Hmmmm...
My marriage is not perfect, but I was very lucky and blessed to marry a wonderful man who has the same goals and aspirations as I did.  We both entered into this with no thought of divorce, striking it from our vocabulary.  We both knew that we would go through tough times, but we were stuck with each other.  That is the agreement we made, and we are sticking to it now.  Wow have there been tough times.  There have been times when I've wondered how we were going to make it through, but make it through we did, and things right now are wonderful.  My feelings for him have grown exponentially as I have watched him struggle with some of his weaknesses and conquer them, and I like to think that he can see how I am trying to improve myself for him as well.  Sure we still have our bad days, who doesn't?  But I am incredibly grateful that we have stuck with it.
So is there true love?  Sure, but I believe it is a process, not an immediate thing.  Every day my love for my sweetheart grows stronger, and every struggle and disagreement that we make it through is a testament to our growing closer together.  Having the ability to disagree and still feel that wonderful feeling for each other is the core of our own journey to true love.  I am glad that we haven't given up.