The past couple weeks, a story about a little boy, David, and his girlfriend Ayla, went viral. While some of you might think that its cute that two 8 year olds think they are in love and know what it means at such a young age, but I think they, out of everyone, know what the most truest and purest form of love is. You see, David is dying of cancer. He has had four battles with cancer since he was 2, and this time, David won't be able to win. The difference this time, is the support and love he has from his girlfriend, Ayla, who he says is his "Snow White". Ayla knows that David won't live much longer and is aware of losing him, but she continues to love him. In the video below, you see that Ayla never leaves David's side and always takes care of him and makes him smile. David's mom said that during their first date, David got out of his wheel chair and walked around for the first time in months. It was that moment when his parents knew he was in love.
After reading the article and watching videos of the little couple, I found myself in awe of the depth and purity of love in their relationship. The intensity of love required to take care of someone you know who is dying takes courage and a maturity way beyond that of an 8-year old and even beyond most people my age. Ayla didn't have to stick through it with David, but she did. She loves him so much that all she cares about is making his last days happy and worthwhile. This selfless love that she has for him, and his determined love is what fuels the relationship. When I was 8, I know that I would never have understood the commitment and struggle of being the other half and the light of someone's last days.
I have seen many loving relationships in my life, and I am even in one now, but I realized just how simple love should be. It shouldn't be a guessing game of "does he like me?", or "do I look okay?", it shouldn't be just physical, and it shouldn't crumble when life complicates things. Love is simple, and David and Ayla show this in an amazing way. Love is being content with making another person happy for the rest of your life and wanting to be with them through all of it. That's it. It took me 20 years to come up with this idea of love that didn't involve romantic walks along the beach or the end goal of having a ring and white dress. For some people, it takes their whole lives to understand what love is, and these two kids, got it in the short 8 years that they have been here. They are a lesson to all of us about the effect love has on another person and on yourself, it makes you courageous and selfless, and as David said, he knew he loved Ayla because he felt it in his "heart". If that isn't what love is, then I don't know what is. Thank you David and Ayla for teaching me this important lesson of love and giving, you have touched so many lives with your hearts.
