Friday, February 15, 2013

What is love?

"How do you know when you're in love? 
... All the songs make sense."
-Castle

Yes! This blog is all about that four letter word that deep down we all want to hear, and yet, afraid to hear all at the same time. What is real love? Well... Love according to Webster’s dictionary is a “Warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion.” Responding to this question reminds me of a sweet experience I had a few weeks ago. I babysit for a family back in Colorado, and I love the kids with all my heart. Their oldest, Ady is 11. While talking with her one night after her younger siblings had gone to bed she asked me the question “What is true love?”

 At first, I immediately tried to avoid the question not knowing how in the world to answer it. After thinking about it though, I told her that true love is the cute little old couple holding hands while smiling and laughing in the park. After telling her that, a few weeks later I saw the picture at the top of this page. Maybe, I had gone a bit too ideal when I pictured the cute old couple as perfectly happy. Though I believe there are times when marriage is very happy. There are also many times that you won’t really like your spouse. I like how well the picture illustrates love. The old couple may not be walking in the park hand in hand; but they are there for each other side by side. And even though the old man is angry, he cares enough about his wife that her comfort is more important to him than his own. To me, that is real love. It’s love that lasted through all the ups and downs they surely faced. The statement that “He may not always like her, but will always lover her” puts love in its simplest form. Love can be described as a “warm attachment”. I also, however, believe that love is unconditional, deeply felt, and selfless. Gordon B. Hinckley states it best when he says “How sweet is the assurance, how comforting is the peace that come from the knowledge that if we marry right and live right, our relationship will continue, notwithstanding the certainty of death and the passage of time. Men may write love songs and sing them. They may yearn and hope and dream. But all of this will be only a romantic longing unless there is an exercise of authority that transcends the powers of time and death.” Love that can stand the test of time is true and real. That is why relationships in this life are so important; they are what stay with us beyond this life.

   According to Gary Chapman, “Our most basic emotional need is not to fall in love but to be genuinely loved by another”. He describes that “The kind of love requires effort and discipline” and also states the important note that “True love cannot begin until the in-love experience has run its course” He explains that “Once we return to the real world of human choice, we choose to be kind and generous, that is real love.” If we can truly learn to love, or better yet meet his/hers deep emotional needs to feel loved, “Then the love we share will be exciting beyond anything we ever felt when we were infatuated.” If you learn how to love your spouse using their love language, “You can make your efforts at love most productive.”
 
Also in class we learned the different kinds of love...


P.S. Life is Good!

 

2 comments:

  1. These definitions are not accurate .. sorry but you slaughtered the beautiful true meanings behind each of those words.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These were simple notes from class. I didn't mean for them to be formal definitions.

    ReplyDelete