Love is Eight Cows

Even though I have been a skeptic for most of my life, I have heard far too many impassioned first-hand stories to not believe, at least a little, in love at first sight. Couples young and old like to recount the exact moment when their eyes first met . . . and it was instant love. The couples that relished talking about their magical moment all had one thing in common though. They were still in love. When we talked to them about Eight Cows, they would nod their heads in agreement on every one, acknowledging that their partner had them all. That first incredible moment was still very real to them.

However, there were others who also talked about that same mystical moment when love struck, with a little less enthusiasm. These people weren’t with the one who stole their heart. They described the same euphoria that held them spellbound for a while, but their passionate feelings eventually gave way to the reality that their beloved was missing some cows . . . or had a Mad Cow. They spoke of love at first sight with a far-away look of sadness in their eyes. Occasionally they would cry.

For a while I began to seriously doubt the voracity of the platitude, “All you need is love.” Instead, when I would see relationship after relationship fail after beginning with such loving promise, I kept hearing in my head the refrain from Tina Turner, “What’s love got to do with it?”

I can’t remember which one of my colleagues said out of the blue one day, “Nothing says ‘I love you’ like Eight Cows.” Everything started to make a little more sense after I thought about that.

People who describe love at first sight to me often portray it as a massive dose of thought and emotion hitting you all at once, almost like a drug. That is actually a very good analogy. Some drugs can make you feel very good, even though nothing good has happened to warrant the feelings. Likewise, love at first sight wraps you in a warm feeling of comfort and longing even though neither of you have done anything to deserve that emotion.

Love at first sight may be like a drug but lasting love is like exercise and eating your vegetables–it takes a little work to get the long-term payoff. True love compels you to be the best person you can be—the supreme version of yourself. Love will put down a Mad Cow, foster the Cash Cow and Cuddle Cow. It will care for the Trusted Friend Cow and develop a Holy Cow. It will dote over the Considerate Cow. And I don’t care what they said in the 1970’s, love absolutely will say ‘I am sorry.’

Love is more than an emotion. It is a way of living and doing. True love isn’t nearly as magical as love at first sight but it has a wonder all its own. It is the real-life blending of a symphony and a spreadsheet. It is both fanciful and pragmatic. It is a feeling that should lead to action or it will become just a bittersweet memory.

I don’t think love at first sight qualifies as real love. I think it may be a fun way to start a relationship but real love must replace it eventually. No disrespect to Tina but I think love has everything to do with it, and I believe that deep down, all you need is love . . . but nothing says I love you like Eight Cows.