I was planning to write about friendship, but love is on my mind. This post may be me rambling, and I may not do the best job of defining love.
Love is a topic from which I have shied away. Love is complex and complicated, coming in different shapes and sizes. It takes on distinct characteristics and has different social norms across the world. We give and accept love differently. Love is temperamental at best and fragile at worst. Love can liberate and empower, but it can subjugate and devour. Given these circumstances, it’s hard to confine in a 650-word blog post.
Love is a noun, verb, or adjective. We can give love, show love, receive love, offer love, describe love, and we can be loved. Since love can take all of these forms, we can misinterpret what love is. In my world, love is only a verb. Love is a benevolent action. Benevolent because, at its core, it does not cause harm or pain; it is a joyous experience. Love is always active in some form or fashion.
Love means discovering ones-self. To love, one must understand the fullness of their being. Who are they? What are they? They must be very clear about this. They must discover themselves before loving.
Once we discover who we are, the old us has to die. Foundationally, we are ego-driven, prideful, envious, messed-up creatures. We must shed these particles from our past. We cannot foster love if we hold on to things that are the antithesis to love. Love requires scarifies and compromises.
Love means giving and never expecting. I always expect something in return for my actions. I go to work (action) to receive a paycheck (reaction). Or If I speed (action), I may receive a ticket (reaction). Love does not work the same. You may genuinely love someone, and they won’t love you back. Though we may have our feelings hurt, we must love despite it. Love gives us hope that good still exists.
Love means understanding its fragility. Love is fragile (which is why it is hard to define). I do not mean in the breakable sense of the word; I mean in the delicate sense. Love hangs in a delicate balance. We are often challenged to be open, honest, and vulnerable but forced to adapt, change, and protect ourselves. It can be exhausting at times.
Love means attempting to express it unconditionally. Unconditional love comes only from God. We fail when we try to show love unconditionally, but we never stop trying. We must love free from judgment that allows grace to be bestowed on those whom we love. We need to stop allowing room for us to develop while we deny those around us the same.
Love means understanding the process. We have to develop love. We must understand who we are. We must sacrifice those things in us that make it hard to love. We must give love and not expect it in return. We must honor and respect its fragility while we try to show it unconditionally. We may not get it right; however, as we perform, it becomes easier. Love has to be a persistent action and does not fade with time.
If I must define love, here we go.
Love is a wholly benevolent action rooted in the ascertainment of self. It requires sacrificing things that do not align with or promote its growth. It necessitates the fortitude to know that one must give it but may not reciprocate it. It is fragile but must be done so without prejudice or judgment; it is habitual and recurring, which becomes instinctive with practice.
Until Next Time:
Let God’s Light Shine Within You and Through You!
antoniosquire.com 