We often take love for granted. We might marry someone and spend years of our lives with them without ever really expressing our feelings or cherishing the moments we spent with them. Then, suddenly, life takes a shocking turn, and we lose them in one way or the other. Only with that etching absence do we realize the gentle warmth of love, but it is too late for it.
Did I Tell You I Love You Today? by Rory Graham is a tale of a person who lost someone with whom he spent his whole life. The story depicts the author’s life experiences, who lost his wife to Parkinson’s disease. Graham told his and his wife, Zelia’s story through Jake and Anna. The story is a rollercoaster of emotions that gives you the message that life is worth living every day.
Here’s all you need to know about Rory Graham’s Did I Tell You I Love You Today?
Did I Tell You I Love You Today? – A Story of Love, Loss, Discovery, and Renewal!
Love is a beautiful thing, but it comes with the risk of a loss. Losing an intimate partner is one of the most emotionally devastating events in one’s life. Rory Graham’s book uses such an experience to enrich his family’s future through lessons learned over many years. It is, in many ways, his own story told through fictional characters.
Jake, who is the main character in the novel, has been married to Anna for around 50 years. Anna has been struggling with Parkinson’s for the past 23 years, and in the past two years, her disease got worse. The initial chapters are a buildup to how Jake gradually starts to lose his soulmate to the disease.
The author shares an emotional scene where he is going to give medicine to his wife, and she asks him to take her home. Initially confused since she was home, he then asked her whether she knew who he was, and she said, “No.” It was a heartbreaking event where the author realized that he was losing his soulmate. He also shared how challenging the next few months were until the disease took her.
In the following chapters, the author takes us and Jake 40 years into the past to 1980. Graham explores how they met, lived, and how much simpler life seemed to be.
In further chapters, you will realize why Rory Graham named the book “Did I Tell You I Love You Today?” It is a theme that runs through the book that was based on a sweet ritual where he used to ask his wife, “Did I Tell You I Love You Today?” every day, and she used to say, “No, you didn’t, but I love you too.”
The Journey Towards Self-Discovery
This book is a love story that is about more than grief and loss; it also explores the journey to self-discovery. Through a “time travel” event, the book takes us to the past, where Jake vividly relives his past with all the knowledge of what the future holds. He gets to feel Anna’s presence again and realizes how beautiful his intimate relationship with his soulmate is.
Through careful self-reflection and examination of his situation, feelings, and desires, Jake decides to use his knowledge of future events to try and change a few things. He does so in the hope that these changes will alter the future of his family in positive ways. His answer is to write a journal consisting of 12 Life Principles that he has learned throughout his life.
Each of these strong life principles is presented in the context of the story in a conversational and nonjudgmental way. Rounding out these lessons are many kernels of wisdom sprinkled throughout the book in the form of powerful quotes.
The book emphasizes that time is a rushing river, and your mistakes do not mean that it is the end of the world. You may have a feeling of regret that you did not do enough in your life or left many things unsaid. However, one should also cherish the things they achieved or the moments they shared with their loved ones. With this mindset, you can manage your emotions better and make the right decisions.
Final Thoughts
Rory Graham’s Did I Tell You I Love You Today? is a beautiful book that was written by the author to process the pain of his loss. It truly depicts what it is like to gradually lose someone you have spent years of your life with. It also takes readers on a stunning love story adventure that is based on true events and gives the message of embracing life and cherishing every little moment you can with your partner.
The book was initially written for his two sons and his four grandchildren in the hopes of providing them with some basic life principles that, if applied, could have a positive impact on their lives. By wrapping these principles in a “love story adventure” that is fun and easy to read, he hoped that they would connect with them and embrace at least some of them to improve their lives. Through, Did I Tell You I Love You Today? He has done just that.
The book is available on Amazon and Kindle. There is also an audio version available on Audible narrated by Kera O’Bryon.
You can read more and order autographed copies from the author at:
