I have always thought the word, "love", was impossible to define. Anyone who attempted to define love was just foolish. But, as I have gotten older, my views about a lot of things have changed. I have learned that, yes, I believe love can be defined. So, I am going to make a attempt to define love as I see it, even with the risk of being called foolish.
W hen Loveta first mentioned love as one topic we should write about. I thought to myself, "That want take long". But, knowing my past writing experiences, it takes me a lot of words to say anything. So, lets hope I can keep this short.
My dad used to say, that love was so close to hate that it was hard to tell them apart. When he would say this, it would infuriate my mother. I guess she wondered which way it would go, in regards to his feelings about her. I never quite understood what daddy meant by this statement. These are both very strong emotions and I kinda understand where he was going with this. I know my dad had a very hard life, filled with sadness and heartache. I know he had been hurt and betrayed several times by those that he thought loved him. So, perhaps these made him have such a harsh viewpoint about love. Fortunately, I didn't inherit daddy's viewpoint about love.
To me there are several types of love. One type of love is the casual feeling of love and commitment we have for our friends. We wish the best for them. It would hurt us if any thing bad happened to them. They a important part of our life. But, they are not family.
The second type of love is the love we have relative. They are blood kin and yes blood is thicker than water. So, we love them. But we don't see them very often. So, its a different kind of love.
Next, we have the strong love and affection we feel for our parents and all of those family members who were there when we were growing up. Even though this is a very strong love, it is natural for us to feel like we are going to out live our parents. So, we spend a good part of our life preparing for them to pass from this life before we do. I don't in any way want to diminish the love I had for my parents. But, I knew that more than likely I would out live my parents and have to make a life of my on after they were gone. When I was young I worried about what I would do when they were gone. They have been gone for many years now, but I still miss them and occasionally still dream about them.
Next, the love you have for your spouse has to be one this strongest forms of love known to mankind. The Bible tells us to leave our parents and go out into the world and find a mate. We are supposed to cling to that mate and become one and nothing is supposed to separate us except death. What a beautiful plan. Unfortunately it doesn't always work out that way. From the moment we are married we face the things that life throws at us. We laugh together, we worry together, and we cry together. We endure every hardship together. It makes for a love and closeness that endures forever. A love that is tested by the trials and tribulations of life. A love that endures until death.
The last form of love I want to talk about, is the love we have for our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren. You think you know all about love, until you have a child. Then, you learn a whole new level of love. All of a sudden your whole life revolves around a little baby. Nothing else matters except the welfare of that little baby. It is a love so strong that you can't imagine ever living a moment without that baby in your life. That love you have for that baby never diminishes no matter how old they get. It only grows stronger as the years go by. It is indeed a love that I thank God that I have been fortunate enough to experience. Not ever one can say this. I am truly a blessed man.
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