Spicing up COMPLICATED

Cooking up a mouthwatering recipe for love in the main course.

Cooking on the grill. The outside fire, the flames, the smells, tingling your taste buds for something juicy and delicious. Firing up all senses is a dream come true for an author. Only if I could write to where you could smell each mouthwatering word.

Family! You can’t live with them or without them. And it's one of the most complex things in life: a marriage. We can't pick and choose our relatives. But you can choose your partner. No matter how you spice up life, there are complicated adult things we run into, like divorce. Not that divorce is the fix-all. When the bonds of marriage break, it is sad. Two people once in love fall out of love. Why can't love last forever? When the conditions for love are no longer met, the bond fades. A shared commitment between both partners can replace lost love and hold the relationship together for years to come. And then there are the couples whose bond is so strong they can't live without each other. Couples who have been married for 40 to 60 years or more are fascinating.

So what's the recipe for a long marriage?

The million-dollar question. From what I have experienced in life, the answer is, "Love fades and becomes a lost love." We crave to be loved. Love is a lot like basting a chicken on the grill, with a great chicken rub with all the right spices. I had to compare love with food, which we also crave. The universal meaning of love is always to baste your love with tender loving care. Studies have shown that we think love is in the heart, but it mostly comes from the brain. Romance does not have to fizzle out in a relationship. Maintaining a goal like all good things in life requires energy and devotion. It’s all in what you put into your relationships. Couples should strive to spice up with all the trimmings. When you keep the fires burning, it will never go out.

Treat your love like the main course, not the garnish.

Jackie Lynaugh

About the novella COMPLICATED, by Jackie Lynaugh.

First, yes, I am experienced in divorce. Once was enough. I know of many people with 4 to 5 divorces under their belt. I imagine the more the divorces, the more the complications. The story is about marriage, lost love, newly found love, children, family, careers, home, and the characters Lee and Scarlett. Not so much in that order, but the topics are about what we all share in common, life. I was married for 10 years to my first husband, and 40 years to my second husband. So far, so good. The second time around has been heavenly. I hope you enjoy the novella, COMPLICATED.