“I’ll do anything for her!” Sounds like the opening to a love poem or song. It is only a few words, yet think of the incredible meaning held within those last three: “anything for her.” Now, “anything,” that covers a lot of territory! “Her” - so the speaker (man or woman), is making clear their devotion to a woman. But, we really should not be surprised. Look at history and see what people have done in the name of love for a woman.

Homer tells us that the Trojan War was fought over a woman, Helen. She was said to be so beautiful that she was called the: “Face that launched a thousand ships.” Wow! So, that would make her the first Miss Universe? Yet, Homer does not tell us what she looked like.

No, instead, he says that as she walked about Troy, every soldier stopped to watch her pass. Clever. For, who is to say what is truly beautiful. There is that other old saying: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” So, what Homer found beautiful might not line up with his readers’ expectations. Instead, he leaves the matter open. Yet, she must have been quite the woman, to illicit such actions from the men in her life.

Centuries later, Mark Anthony would do anything for the love of his life - Cleopatra. He had been Caesar’s right-hand man, and part of the trio of men to inherit Rome after Caesar’s assassination. Then he fell in love with Cleopatra.

For that love, he turned his back on Rome. This was something the Roman people could not forgive; especially when the details of his will were released (via Octavian’s efforts) to the public. So great was Anthony’s love for Cleopatra, he declared his wish to be buried in Egypt upon his death. An unforgivable sin in the eyes of Rome, and war was the result. Then, when he thought Cleopatra dead, he stabbed himself with his own sword.

Faust sold his soul for the love of a woman; Herod promised Salome anything she wanted, if she would just dance for him at a banquet. Fortunately, most love offerings are not quite so… “Extreme.” Shakespeare wrote sonnets to proclaim his love. And, of course, songs have been love offerings since the first caveman banged two sticks together to create a melody.

In the musical “Oliver!” there is even a song titled “I’ll Do Anything.” It makes it quite clear just what the “Artful” Dodger, Oliver and the other boys are willing to do for Nancy. So, it is easy to see that the phrase “Anything for her” has had a lot of power over the course of human history. What sorts of things will be included in that list, in the coming years?