“Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the mind blows out candles and fans fires,” says La Rochefoucauld. To me, what is mediocre, is not passion. Passion is what springs from human relationships. And relationships can be between lovers, family members, as well as between people and their country. And thus, love is the fire that keeps relationships alive. The sudden departure of one of its two elements can cause passion to increase in intensity. At its height, a relationship can display intense passion. The fear of leaving or losing of someone or something we love and cherish dearly is so agonizing and frustrating that it intensifies the feeling of love and motivates it to grow stronger and greater. The more we are divided by time and distance, the more we miss and long for reunion. Therefore, real love is defined by passion, and absence is the main ingredient to foster both sentiments.
Passion is displayed frequently through relationships in our lives. The most intense passion is easily depicted in love affairs, where the departure of one party can precipitate tragic consequences. In Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare was able to capture the loving passion that brought about the resulting tragedy. At the end of their first meeting, Juliet told Romeo, “ parting is such sweet sorrow.” Even though they had not yet parted, they have started missing each other and have already regretted their impending separation. Their passionate love thus grew with time, but as their relationship developed, they were frustrated by many obstacles. Coming from two neighboring families which had long been enemies; their relationship was in jeopardy from the start. However, the more their love was forbidden, the stronger their passion grew. Ultimately, a disastrous mistake caused the death of the two lovers. Romeo committed suicide after he had learned that Juliet had died. Juliet awakened from a poison-induced coma, saw Romeo lying motionless, and ended her life upon realizing that her lover was no longer alive. This entire dramatic episode depicted a passion that kept growing from beginning to end. Absence in this story was caused by many obstacles that the two lovers must conquer to be together. The greater the obstacle, the more intense their passion grew, At last, the obstacles eventually overwhelmed the lovers and caused them to end their lives so that they could finally be together in spirit.
Passionate feelings are not only reserved for lovers, they can also be felt for one’s family. After being away at college for only three weeks, I already miss walking down the street and seeing my house around the curve on Judge’s Lane. On such a winter night, there would be smoke curling out of the chimney, and inside, the Huynh family would be together. Dad would sit next to the fireplace reading, Mon would be watching TV, and my brother would be at this computer games. I miss my sister most, though we constantly argue over virtually everything when I am home. Only now have I realized how precious my family is to me and how much I do care and think about them. The distance makes me miss and love them more.
Being away from home is bad enough, being away from my beloved country, where I spent all of my childhood, is even worse. Vietnam is half way around the globe and already five years away from me. The love for my country is framed by the beautiful memories that I experienced. Being so far away for so long, I yearn once again to walk the streets that once led me to school. I dream of hanging out with my childhood friends, wandering in the beautiful woods of Suoi Vang, swimming in the sweet waters of lake Xuan Huong. The taste of Lychees is always so tempting, beckoning me to have a bite. These memories often take over my state of mind, filling me with the desire to return.
Wasn’t La Rochefoucauld so right when he said tat absence increases great passions? It not only awakens in human beings those latent feelings, but also, develops in them the zeal and the drive which help them define their own character and personality. It brings out the best in a person, the will and the determination, to do whatever it takes to close the gap of distance.
