Does Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder?

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder ... so the old saying goes. It may or may not be true. The few times that Steve and I have been apart during the last twenty years (the longest was during the two weeks of Wife Swap filming) I know that I have returned with a renewed sense of appreciation and enthusiasm. Though I almost think that the opposite may be true when it comes to this concept. When you are apart, you remember all of the special little reasons why you love someone and long to relive them again; however, for me, the constant daily companionship and seemingly insignificant incidents all add up over the days, months, years and grow into undeniable devotion and affection.

There sure is no denying the excitement of seeing one you love after time apart though, is there? Much like this beautiful image captures below.

Since I'm such an etymology and phrase origin fan, let me throw in some fun facts about the term Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder. Its origin can be traced to the Roman poet Sextus Propertius, who gave us the earliest form of this saying in Elegies:

"Always toward absent lovers love's tide stronger flows."

The more contemporary version first appeared as the title of an anonymous English poem in 1602. It wasn't until the 19th century that the phrase began to be used more widely, with Thomas Haynes Bayly's song Isle of Beauty, published in 1850 which read:

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Isle of Beauty, Fare thee well!"

Of course, there is always this earnest Barenaked Ladies lyric:

"Absence makes the heart grow fungus."