THE SONG: All the Same, by Sick Puppies

I dont mind where you come from
As long as you come to me
But I dont like illusions I cant see
Them clearly I dont care, no I wouldn't dare
To fix the twist in you
You've shown me eventually what you'll do
I dont mind I dont care
As long as you're here

[Chorus]

Go ahead and tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
And do it all over again It's all the same

Hours slide and days go by
Till you decide to come
But in-between it always seems too long
Suddenly
But I have the skill, yeah I have the will, to breath you in while I can
However long you stay is all that I am

I dont mind, I dont care
As long as you're here

Go ahead and tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
And do it all over again It's always the same

Wrong or Right Black or White
If I close my eyes Its all the same

In my life
The compromise
I'll close my eyes
Its all the same

Go ahead say it You're leaving
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are now
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same

THE LOVE NOTE

Hey Baby,

Well, 18 years this weekend. Wow! Can you believe we've been married that long and been friends even longer? We've known each other 23 years and have been through a lot.

Before our 12th anniversary I started this idea of 52 Love Songs: One love song a week for the whole year with a personal love note attached to each. I didn't get it done in time for our anniversary then but I shared the idea at my first Valentine's All Year Seminar. I haven't forgotten the idea nor the songs. The good news is that now I've had a lot of time to consider how to present these to you and have decided to do so "loud and proud" online for the world to see.

As I thought about what song should be number one there were many great contenders. I finally decided that I wanted to start this 52 Love Songs Project with a song that wasn't about the obvious perfect or idyllic love that people think of when they think of "love songs". Instead, this song that I first heard on The Free Hugs Campaign video (brilliant and touching—one of my favs—big surprise eh, from, as you call me, "Jonathan Sherman: Friend to the World!") seems to me more about love that has had it's ups and downs, that has struggled, but decided to stick it out and come through anyway; love that is flawed yet committed and accepting of one another anyway; love that clings onto the belief that we'll come back to it over and over and refuses to give up; real love. Love like ours.

So Baby, I'll keep taking you for who you are and I know you'll keep accepting me for everything that I am. We have. I know we will.

Love you more today,

Jonathan

THE GREAT RELATIONSHIP PRINCIPLE

Mend it, don't end it. Long-term marital studies find that 69% of couples who seriously considered divorce but stayed married report that 16 years later they are very happy that they stuck it out. Further research shows that couples that stop trying to change each other and learn to accept each other are the ones that change the most and become the most happy.

LISTEN TO ALL THE SONGS IN THE 52 LOVE SONGS PROJECT HERE