Rewriting Romeo and Juliet

They were so madly in love they couldn't live without each other, and in fact, they WOULDN'T live without each other. They knew the moment they saw each other that it was true love. They were perfect for each other, and they were destined to live together happily.
The cover of the 1968 Franco Zeffirelli Version of Romeo and Juliet

This notion of false and stubborn love have come to rule our society- however, the truth in love is something far beyond the puppy-love-like infatuation displayed in Romeo and Juliet. Love is compromise. Love is not stubborn. It is interesting that William Shakespeare himself, the debatable author of Romeo and Juliet, declares ideas in Sonnet 116 which seem contradictory to Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet's love was not accepted, and thus they ran from society, allowing their love to completely encompass their lives. To me, this was not the right thing to do for two reasons- the first being that true love would stand up against society, as it "looks upon tempests and is never shaken" (sonnet 116). Secondly, it goes against the idea of love with detachment. For love is love, and regardless of what form it takes, be it marriage or friendship, "it is a star to every wandering bark" (sonnet 116).
Love with detachment stresses a balance in life. It stresses acceptance; some things are not meant to be in some ways. For "desire, aversion, pleasure, pain... these are in brief the constituents of changing Matter"(105). Perhaps their desire to be together was temporary, and they're just drama queens who made a big deal about it. I've spoken on the subject in class, but my ex and I are a perfect example. Both of us had met all kinds of people throughout years and years of our lives but had treated all of them in a careless manner. They meant nothing to us. However, we met and changed each other's lives.

Awesome, a justified opportunity to share a cute picture of Waqas and I :)

We defined love for each other and we both grew tremendously. When I came to Austin life became difficult because we couldn't constantly be together. That's where love and detachment come in. We couldn't get over each other and we both suffered a terrible semester, from bad grades to lack of social interaction to constant depression. Finally, we learned the hard way that we could be in love, and at the same time enjoy where we were when we were there. Now, we love each other just as deeply as before, if not more, and we're able to function normally and lead good lives while being apart. To me, detachment is a state of acceptance. You can't be together, but because you love each other, you work around that fact. Romeo and Juliet should have been friends, as lame as it sounds.
I was talking to a Hindu friend of mine today, and I mentioned "love with detachment", and she told me she hated the phrase. When I asked her why, she replied because her grandfather practiced it. Apparently many Hindus interpret "love with detachment" to mean that one should never show affection, which I completely disagree with. It hurts when you lose someone, it does... but holding back your emotions towards them will only fill you with regret, not peace. Instead, you must be ready at all times to accept things as they come your way, and enjoy them when you have them. Go with the flow and be happy, to put it simply. If life gives your lemons, make lemonade, because as Krishna states, "What someone offers to Me, whether it be leaf, or flower, or fruit, or water, I accept it, for it is offered with devotion and purity of mind"(75), and although life is not alway devoted to you and pure, whenever you lose a little something in you life (like the chance to be forever after with your Romeo), you can look hard enough and find that somewhere else someone else is giving you love, in whatever small way they can, with just as much purity of mind. Appreciate it.