Love is a funny thing. It doesn’t ask for much, but it requires everything. If you give nothing, then it gives nothing in return. It won’t yell or demand, it will be silent. It will sit patiently waiting and hoping that you will someday understand. It will wait while you work, while you play, while you question, while you run, and while you hide…even from it.
You may be confused about why it’s missing from your life. You may be asking why it isn’t there for you, giving you all that you need. You may search for it doggedly, or intermittently. You may give up on it, time and time again. Then you return. You may play games with love, and it will play games with you. It will always win. You may become bitter because it won’t appear at the snap of your fingers, or because love didn’t last. You may require that love prove itself over and over again. Love is not a right available on demand, it’s a privilege and a gift to be accepted, and protected with great care.
If you put it last on your list of priorities, then it will put you last as well. You may think you don’t need it. You may draw boundaries around what you will not give up, and what things you will not change. You may make a list of the things that love must not intrude upon. You may believe that you have plenty of time to make room for love. You may be willing to only accept love that is the ideal. You may believe that it will be there whenever you are ready. You may keep a part of yourself hidden from love, so as not to get hurt. Whatever you choose to give to love, it will give to you in return.
But when you are ready to give to love, it will give more to you than you can ever give to it. It will make you wonder why you ever doubted it. It will ask you to give more. It will ask you to believe. It will ask you for complete trust. It will ask you to change, to stretch, and to grow. It will end. It will hurt. It will begin anew. It will make you feel safe. It will make you feel strong. It will make you feel vulnerable. It won’t be perfect, but it will make you perfect. It will ask you to open your arms, and it will fill them up.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I love this post. This is something everyone experiences. A person can either embrace it, or run away. I try to embrace as much love as possible and share it everyday.
Thank you for this lovely post!
This is a great little bit of thought stimulation. I recently started dating again, after a VERY long time. It’s wonderful, but I’m definitely not ready to focus on one person right now, which may leave me back to square one. I do find, at my age (40) guys are looking for serious relationships. I just love getting all dressed up and having someone new and interesting to spend time with. Just trying to stay open to all possibilities!
Elegantly put!
Rasheed
There is nothing else on this entire planet that I needed to read more than this post at this exact moment.
This was such a great post! One of the best I’ve ever read on the topic of love. I don’t think I could have said it better. Really, beautifully written.