Justice to Love in a few paragraphs

A few thoughts on love...(How does one do justice to love in a few paragraphs?)

Have you ever wondered why we love babies so much? We like babies because they are so open and vulnerable. As they open their arms and look into our eyes, they say to us, "Love me. I need you and I can't make it alone."

As we grow older, many of us come to believe that we have to fake self-sufficiency. We pretend. We say, "I'm all right, I'm OK, I'm tough, I can handle it", while inside we may be frightened, lonely and craving for someone to listen.

There is a myth around that says, "You had better not admit that you are vulnerable or lonely, or you will look weak." It also says, "Don't be honest about how you really feel, or someone will sink the boot in." The myth is back to front. Others know when we are being open and sincere and they love us for it. It is only when we fake it and pretend that we are OK, that we get into trouble.

It is ironic that those of us who are are the most desperate for affection, do the most pretending that we don't need it. When we are really soft and lonely inside, we then have to do an extra good job of letting the world know that everything is fine.

Love is not ooey gooey. Love is strength and commitment. To love someone can mean telling them what they don't want to hear.

Love is courage, and it takes a lot more courage to say "I am scared," or "I love you," than it does to clout someone around the ears.

Love is respect, for ourselves and others. It is all about allowing people to be where they are and loving them anyway. The moment we say, you do this and then I will love you, that isn't love - it is manipulation.

Love is about looking fro the good in people, and if we can do that, and do it consistently, then our own happiness is guaranteed. As our life is a reflection of ourselves, the more love and beauty we perceive, the more we are growing and the more we are becoming, and so for all of us, LOVE IS EVERYTHING.