Some people may think that you fall in love and the rest takes care of it itself. But love is work - enjoyable, worthy, roll-your-sleeves-up work. And if this isn't love, I don't know what is.
Over a half century ago in China, a 20 year old Liu Guojiang fell in love with an older, widowed mother Xu Chaoqing. At the time, it was unacceptable and immoral for a young man to love an older woman, most especially one with children, so they ran off to elope and live in a cave in the Jiangjin County in the southern ChongQing area.
Though living peacefully together, at first they had nothing - no electricity or even food. They ate grass and roots they found and Liu made kerosene lamps for light.
Starting their second year of living in the mountain, Liu began, and continued for over 50 years, to hand carve steps so that his wife could get down the mountain more easily.
In 2001, a group of adventures were exploring the forest and found the elderly couple and the over 6,000 stairs of the hand carved ladder.
“My parents loved each other so much, they have lived in seclusion for over 50 years and never been apart a single day.” Liu MingSheng, one of their seven children said, “He hand carved more than 6,000 steps over the years for my mother’s convenience, although she doesn’t go down the mountain that much."
Sadly, their time together ended last Wednesday. Liu, 72 years-old, returned from his daily farm work and collapsed, passing away in his wife's arms.
Their story has so touched the people of China that the local government has decided to preserve the steps and the place they lived as a museum. {source}
Makes me ask myself - have I carved that step today? Have I put in the work?
