The ‘L’ Word
If I summarized love, it’d be with this verse:
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT
Love is timeless and unconditional; it is voluntary and occurs organically, it is not forced. Love is meeting someone right where they are, seeing someone for who they truly are – beneath the flaws and the mistakes and their pain and their past – yet still loving them, maintaining a burning desire to be with them. Love is creating memories together and valuing quality time. Love is staying in each other’s presence longer than you intended to during a particular time because departing is too difficult. Love compliments, not complicates or confuses. Love is as love does; it is an action. It is sharing the last bite. Love is kind and generous and selfless. Love is sacrifice and compromise, an unrelenting commitment. Love notates what is important to their partner and makes it happen — be it expressing that they wanted a particular thing, or to do a particular activity, or to go a particular place. Love listens to understand. Love is trusting someone enough to express your biggest fears and darkest secrets, and remaining present during the uncomfortable and unpleasant realities. Love creates space for vulnerability. Love is acceptance and sometimes fosters a willingness for you to accept the baggage of someone else. Love is apologizing when you are wrong and correcting the actions that follow. Love is forgiveness. Love is grace. Love is sometimes putting someone else’s needs before your own, giving one’s last, and even his/her life if it came down to it.
Love does not abuse or intentionally cause pain (outside of for pleasure purposes). Love is not the author of intentional hurt and disappointment. Love is not selfish or greedy with its time or resources. Love does not instead, fall in love with the potential of a person and set out to change them, as if their person is a project. Love is different for everybody, but it is not that hard to love somebody right and “right” is the way an individual needs or wants to be loved. Love is not perfect always because it is not a fairytale, but real love can create a happily ever after.
“I’d rather to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.” - Unknown
