Dear Brian,

Please read and heed these instructions on how to keep Margaret.

Give her all the time and attention she needs and deserves. Listen very closely. Her thoughts, stories, and dreams are gifts she shares with you. “Pay close attention,” and you reap the reward at a bargain price. Be present in the present with her and accept the wondrous joy created by happy new memories you create in every moment spent WITH HER. Are you getting this?

Make her laugh. She loves to laugh, and you have what it takes to be funny, clever, amusing. Give that gift. You love to entertain. You love Margaret. This is easy for you. This is how you got her. This is the fun of keeping her. Have fun!

Tell her she is beautiful every day. Make sure she knows this isn’t just “something you say.” Let her know how your heart leaps when her beauty meets your eye. Say so. She truly is pretty, and she does things to make this true. Rewarding her efforts costs you nothing and pays big dividends. Know she loves you and she does this for you. As Margaret says, “You lucky man. All of this is yours.” Believe it. Keep it. 

Surprise her. Use your creativity to dream up any new thing you can conjure. Begin by imagining how happy she will be when she realizes YOU did this. Imagination and foresight are all you need. Combine those with the love of Margaret’s happiness and sparks of inspiration will create a fire hazard for you! 

Be careful – in every sense. 

If you must be selfish, realize how happy you will be when you have made her happy. When you are finished with that moment of selfishness (do it quickly) tell her again just how much you love her. Your love for Margaret and the expression of it is the key to your happiness. There is no lock, but you know what I mean. Being analytical at this point is useless. This is pure emotion. Be a clown. Be a sap. Let it flow. This is not weakness. This is your greatest strength. Give yourself completely.

Brian, do these things, not just often, but at every opportunity and all the time. Realize that while you may not be able to PROVE your love, the truth of your love should be made irrefutable by “a preponderance of evidence”, an overabundance of kind thoughts, adoring words, and loving action. If you want to keep Margaret’s love, be a good lover.

Because you could not heed this wise counsel, Margaret is now gone. Go ahead, keep right on living. Dismiss the pain but keep the lesson. Ignorance is not bliss. It causes suffering and pain. Remember that.

Love, Brian