Love

I have read countless words about love, but never have I come across something quite like this.

The great Russian writer and philosopher Fyodor Dostoevsky once wrote to his beloved Maria:

“On the street where you live, there are nine women more beautiful than you, seven women taller than you, nine women shorter than you, and one woman who claims to love me more than you do. At work, a woman smiles at me every day, another tries to lure me into conversation, and the waitress at the restaurant sweetens my tea with honey instead of sugar… but still, I love you.”

And after marriage, Maria proved to be a devoted wife. She endured his illness, poverty, long journeys, and absences, standing by his side through every hardship. When she lay on her deathbed, Dostoevsky whispered to her:

“Even in my thoughts, I have never betrayed you.”