Trying on for size
"Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is." -- Diane Ackerman (b. 1948). Love… A simple four letter word, not extravagant or particularly hard to spell, yet has more weight and power then most words twice its size. We have all felt this word in some form or another in our lifetimes; at least I would like think we have. Acceptance; friendship; comfort; family; belonging; love, we strive our entire lives to find this one simple word, be it the love of another or simply to find the strength to completely love ourselves. But, do we truly know what love is? Can we explain the sudden rush of emotions we feel when we are in love? Or when love fades, where does it go? Is love quantifiable? Is it tangible? Can you touch love with your hands or feel it on your skin? Love is truly the single most desired word of human existence.
One of mankind's biggest fears is to not be accepted; therefore we are constantly seeking approval of some form. This fear runs so deep that we envy those who we socially deem desirable, longing for perfection at any price. Is perfection love? That is what the magazine articles would have us believe. We learn to hate ourselves for all that we are not instead of learning to love ourselves for all that we are. Before we can even attempt to love another or allow another to love us, we must first love ourselves. "He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals." -- Benjamin Franklin (1706-90). Only then will we be truly free to allow ourselves to be loved and in turn love someone back fully and honestly. The fact is if we love ourselves with all our flaws, then we are perfect.
The quest for love and completeness begins in our youth. We spend our lives dating and "trying on for size" personality after personality until we find a connection, an unquestionable bond for another person. Someone that we can give ourselves freely and completely to, someone that trusts us and that we can offer our trust to in return. We open up our hearts and let someone inside. In doing so, we find in this person all that we are and all that we are not. And it is in loving a person's flaws, not just their accomplishments that truly binds you to this person forever. Love allows you to see a person for who they really are, allows you to intertwine yourself within their deepest desires and darkest fears, finding their inner beauty and wrapping yourself warmly in its embrace. They become someone that you find solace in when you are weak, comfort when you are hurt, and laughter when you are sad. When you love, when you truly love someone unconditionally,
you find yourself.
Love is defined by Dictionary.com as "A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness." The definition goes on to say "A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment." But, does a definition truly do justice to the sentiment that we call love? Love is an all encompassing rush of emotions that washes over you, a feeling that completely consumes and devours your senses until you have completely lost yourself in the moment. When you are in love you feel like every sense is on fire. The feel of a cool summer breeze can feel like electricity flowing straight through you, yet at the same time lull you like a beautiful lullaby safe and warm. Colors become more vibrant, they radiate with untold possibilities and share moods that uplift the soul; as if each color was boldly telling a story that only you could hear. You find yourself staring into the face of oblivion and longing to tumble down the rabbit hole.
So do we really know what love is? Can we explain it's over whelming electric static of emotions or where it drifts off to when it fades? Is it quantifiable or tangible? Can we truly feel the subtle current of love on our skin on a hot summer day? The answer to all these questions is YES… and no. Love is everything and it is nothing. It can be found in all that we are, all that we seek to be, yet it is nothing more than an abstract idea. Love will not satisfy your hunger, yet it feeds you. Love will not fill your lungs with air, yet it brings you life. How profound a feeling such a small word can make
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