Simply Mad About LOVE Stories - February 14th

Happy Valentine's Day!  I have skipped the last few days of love stories because I didn't have any, but Marisol has come to save THE day...the big day of love...

Here is Marisol and Jose Enrique's love story...a rough start, followed by long distance but all along surrounded by heavenly conspiracies to make this couple get together!

Marisol has her own blog, she writes about all the things that she likes, that inspire her and that make her laugh!

Happy reading and Happy Day of Love, Friendship and Affection!

{ In March 1997, Mayra, the friend I used to go out with the most, mentioned that her friend from Venezuela would be visiting Puerto Rico (where I was living at the time) for business and would be staying for 2 weeks.  “Marisol, we will go out with Jose Enrique for the next two weeks” Mayra announced.  The first night they went out I coulnd’t go as a had tickets to go see a play with another friend.

  

The next morning Mayra called to report about what a great time she and Jose Enrique had had the night before and while we chatter she told me I HAD to meet this guy!  That night Mayra and Jose Enrique were going to see the play I had seen the night before and Mayra assumed I wouldn’t want to go.  But I had really enjoyed the play and said “Of course I will go, the play was great and I want to see it again!”

I am not sure I can say it was love at first sight; some things were less than perfect that night…he was wearing and yellow shirt and I don’t like yellow, I was so nervous every joke I tried to make came out anything but funny, it was awful so much so tha even at one point he said saracastically: “very funny”.  Oops!  It didn’t look like a good start.

In any case Mayra had to work the whole weekend and asked me to show Jose Enrique the southern part of Puerto Rico.  They had to “twist my arm” (hahaha!) but I agreed to serve as his toru guide for the weekend.  We got to know each other a bit better and sparks flew!  There was another minor problem though, Jose Enrique had a gilfriend-on-a-break (he had asked for some alone time to think) back in Venezuela.  Obviously I was very disspointed when I found out.

Jose Enrique returned to Venezuela when his two weeks in Puerto Rico were up and that same night he ended things with the girl back home.  He started calling me every day until he had a chance to come back to Puerto Rico.  During that second visit, on April 29, 1997 we became boyfriend and girlfriend and we kissed for the first time.  That night, he asked me how long did he have to wait to ask me to marry him. I almos had a heart attack and I said more, you have to wait a lot more time!  OMG!  I wasn’t ready for that question.  We had just embarked on a long distance relationship and we had many concerns about how to make it work.

Around that time I was looking for a job as an international auditor.  I didn’t like my first interview in the US or the whole US experience for that matter so when I got a call for a second interview I was apprehensive, but Jose Enrique convinced to go to the interview.  I went and the first thing they said was that I would have to move to Tampa but most of my time would be spent in Venezuela.  I couldn’t believe it.  God is Great!  I got the job, moved to Tampa and indeed I started speding most of my time in Venezuela.  It gave me the opportunity to meet Jose Enrique’s large family and to fall in love even more with him.  Even when I didn’t have to go to Venezuela, we would always found a way to see each other.  One time I was in Venezuela for work having dinner with his parents while he was in Puerto Rico for business having dinner with my parents.

We got married on August 29, 1998 and planning the wedding an adventure.  All my work colleagues had been accomplices and witneeses of this love.  Our wedding was in Puerto Rico while I was still living in Tampa and he was still living in Venezuela.  More than 50 people from Venezuela flew to Puerto Rico for the big day.  It was the best wedding of my life!  (hahaha!).  Truth be told, our biggest accomplice was God…he created the path for us to find each other and create a life together even when there was great physical distance between us.

Jose Enrique was waiting for his visa so we had to keep our honeymoon in the US, so we went to Maui, Hawaii.  WOW!  A dream!  We lived in Tampa until Spetember 2000 when we moved to Puerto Rico.

This year we will celebrate out 15th wedding anniversary and we have to beuatiful children who have come to enhace our love and help it grow every day.  Thank you God, Jose Enrique has been, by far, my favorite gift! ]

Simply Mad About LOVE Stories - day 10

 Day 10 of "14 Days of Love Stories" is here and today I      
 bring you the love story behind the monumental Taj Mahal,  
 on of the Seven Wonder of the World.  Happy Reading!


Here is the story of Shah Jahan & Arjumand  Banu...
{ Taj Mahal, the magnificent monument that stands at the heart of India has a story that has been melting the hearts of millions of listeners since the time Taj has been visible. A story, that although ended back in 1631, continues to live on in the form of Taj and is considered a living example of eternal love. It's the love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, two people from the course of history who set an example for the people living in present and the future to come. An English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold best describes it as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought in living stones." The story that follows next will prove why the statement is true.

Taj Mahal - Agra, India

Shah Jahan, initially named Prince Khurram, was born in the year 1592. He was the son of Jehangir, the fourth Mughal emperor of India and the grandson of Akbar the Great. In 1607 when strolling down the Meena Bazaar, accompanied by a string of fawning courtiers, Shah Jahan caught a glimpse of a girl hawking silk and glass beads. It was love at first sight and the girl was Mumtaz Mahal, who was known as Arjumand Banu Begum at that time. At that time, he was 14 years old and she, a Muslim Persian princess, was 15. After meeting her, Shah Jahan went back to his father and declared that he wanted to marry her. The match got solemnized after five years i.e., in the year 1612.

Shah & Arjumand

It was in the year 1628 that Shah Jahan became the Emperor and entrusted Arjumand Banu with the royal seal. He also bestowed her with the title of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "Jewel of the Palace". Though Shah Jahan had other wives, Mumtaz Mahal was his favorite and accompanied him everywhere, even on military campaigns. In the year 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to their 14th child, she died due to some complications. While Mumtaz was on her deathbed, Shah Jahan promised her that he would never remarry and will build the richest mausoleum over her grave.

their tombs

It is said that Shah Jahan was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into mourning for two years. Sometime after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument. When Shah Jahan died in 1666, his body was placed in a tomb next to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. This magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal" and now counts amongst the Seven Wonders of the World. This is the true story of the Taj Mahal of India, which has mesmerized many people with its bewitching beauty. }

Thanks to www.tajmahal.org.uk for this information.