Thoughts On: Love - Part 1
“Love” is the only word in the English language that has a different definition for each and every one of us.
“Love” is also the only word whose definition can be both perpetual, and ever-changing.
The love you have for someone or something is permanent. Once you give love to, or receive love from others it can not be taken back or given back, regardless of the circumstances under which it was given or received.
That’s why love is our most precious gift.
Today’s love, and yesterday’s love are permanent, but that doesn’t restrict us from changing or expanding our definition of love tomorrow.
If you love someone today, you don’t neccessarily have to love them tomorrow.
If you don’t particularly care for someone or something today, that doesn’t mean you can’t love them tomorrow.
You may even decide that your feelings or acts of the past were those of love, even if you didn’t recognize love in the moment. You can always love; even retroactively. But, you can never revoke love given in the past.
Love is life’s greatest pleasure.
Love is life’s greatest pain.
Treasure it in the present, in memory, and in anticipation of its future return and the pleasure will far outweigh the pain.
If we learn to embrace both love’s permanence and it’s flexibility, we’ve learned one of life’s most important lessons.
But, there is one more lesson, and for many of us it’s the most powerful and important of all: Often our definition of love changes subconsciously. We don’t even realize that it is happening, or has happened.
If you think that you’ve forgotten love’s definition, take heart.
Love is still with you.
You just haven’t discovered its new definition yet.