Congratulations to Liana who wins a fantastic weekend away for two to the beautiful Elgin Valley. Read the winning entry below along with some of our other favourites.


WINNER: LIANA


"In my view, love is a verb and being romantic is a state of mind... we have a 7month old boy and we consciously work on being romantic because we need romance to keep us close, focussed on being a couple, and to feel loved. Being romantic is the most effective way for us to unwind, relax and de-stress: romance is so important because by showing our love for each other, we are also teaching our boy how to love! It's in a cup of tea with a note, it's in a lunch box with a favourite filling, or in a candle-lit dinner on our stoep. We celebrate the little things in life to make us cope with the big things, and romance is the hot chocolate of life that my husband and I get to indulge in to keep us going and to give us energy!"


Here are some other entries which gave us the fuzzy feeling:


"Romance is the spring sun - it cajoles us into softness and freshness again. Sometimes we open so quickly it takes the breath away, like an old oak tree's vivid green tips that were not there the day before; at other times our petals open by slow degrees to the warming sun. Romance has no place for bitter winter or fierce summer or autumn's disillusion. Romance reminds us of how we were when we began to love."

"How empty and cold our lives would be without romance! If romance was suddenly removed from my life, I would lose part of myself, my womanhood and my humanity. A soft touch, warm embrace, delicate kiss or a cosy, romantic setting is all that is needed to transport me from my sometimes mundane, colourless existance as a wife, mother, cook, cleaner, mender, etc to a world full of romance, colour, life, laughter and of course, LOVE."

"Companionship is so important, knowing that you have someone to count on and to snuggle with and to share a meal with and to get massaged by and to be somebody's number one and to know that they "get you"....ROMANCE feeds all of this, rich relationship compost that causes unions to blossom and flourish into something truly amazing and real, and long-lasting."

"Romance is like the hot chilli in chocolate sauce, the breathtaking cold of a mountain stream, 12 red roses on white percale.  It is unexpected surprises and a warm hug when the dinner party was a bit of a flop. It's the glue that keeps the relationship together in hard times.  Like the old man who still took a picnic basket to share with his wife every weekend, even though she's got Alzheimers and doesn't know who he is."

"Romance opens up communication and passion, without which you sink into a boring routine, one day at a time. It creates excitement and anticipation, memories and opportunities. Keeping romance alive makes you feel alive! (eand we've been married for nearly 25 years.....)"

"Given time, our all consuming love and passion for each other settles into a comfortable togetherness. The stresses of coping with problems and the busyness of our daily existance can leave us tired and preoccupied. Romance breathes that giddy breath of spring air, joy and excitement into our lives and relationship, reuniting us and making us bubble like a bottle of newly uncorked champagne. Viva Romance!"

"Discussing sensuality with a friend the other night, we came to a realization.... sensuality is being able to be completely relaxed and comfortable, allowing you to let go and enjoy every day things in a way you never did before. When you get to that state with another person- its called romance! Your senses hightened and in tune with someone else. Feeling that connection makes us realise that our silly arguments and disagreements are worthless, and reminds us why we love each other.

It makes life worth living! But all too often, in this crazy, busy, information overload world we live in- we dont find or make time for ourselves to feel sensual or romantic... life and work takes over and we forget the connection. I do believe this is the reason we have so many divorces now. People just get too cought up to remember to stop- and connect with themselves and the people they love.

If we realise that romance and sensuality are the points in life we enjoy- we should realise that it should be placed very high up on our list of priorities! Keeping that romance alive- regardless of how long you have known each other- is the key to enjoying this experience of life!"
 
"Romance is the light of the dawn, the shape of her neck, the embrace of his arms, the unfolding of the rose, the touch of the baby's fingers on your face... Keeping romance alive keeps the energy flowing, the connectedness of two people, the intimacy and the spirit. It holds the person in the light and says "I value you. I respect you. I love you."

"Simple - if you don't keep the romance alive the "togetherness" dies."


A big thank you to everyone who took part in the competition.


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