Call me a hopeless romantic, but why is it every time a “young” couple is being affectionate in public, there is inevitably a cynic, standing at a distance, making remarks to the tune that the couple’s relationship won’t be like that forever and that reality will eventually set in?

Yes, the cynic is right, but does everything that gives us pleasure last? No. In fact, very few things we take pleasure in during our lifetimes last. Food is a requirement for life, but flavor is not, yet we spend a great percentage of our time and money making our meals delicious and flavorful. The pleasure of eating a tasty meal won’t last, but that doesn’t stop our pursuit of culinary quality. Nobody uses the fleeting pleasure of eating a delicious meal to argue for bland food. Why then does the cynic always have to point out that romantic infatuation won’t last? Perhaps it’s because they are jaded by their own experiences, or maybe they simply think it’s gross.

I choose to see the beauty of the moment – that two people are so lost in each other’s company that the entire world around them has faded away. Will it last? We all know it won’t, reality will eventually set in. But in those moments, the starry-eyed lovers don’t need reality.

So, the next time you see a couple partaking in public displays of affection, and staring into each other’s eyes; try to resist the urge to think or say, “Eww, get a room” or “Reality’s going to set in, and it won’t always be that way.” Instead, look for the beauty. Remember that for an instant, those two people are so interested in each other that whether they are hopeless romantics or self-proclaimed realists, neither is able to see the harsh realities of life, because in that moment, they are both happy – and if you ask me, that is beautiful.

You might even find yourself becoming less of a cynic.