Romance + Intangible = Grateful Heart

Phew.

Whew.

We all survived the day devoted to “Love”.

It was.

The day before yesterday.

In case you forgot.

For some it is a day of dread—the expectations, the opportunities, the gains, the losses.

For others it is a day to begin to strengthen, repair, renew.

How ever one approaches the sentiment, the day is devoted to something we know and feel but oftentimes cannot describe adequately.

Love.

What the heck is it anyway?

A feeling?

A state of mind?

A yearning?

An aversion?

I wish I knew so I can tell you.

What it is.

The best I can do is provide you with examples..

If that would help.

Of what it may be, would be, could be should be—there is no woulda, coulda, shoulda.

About love.

It either is.

Or.

It isn’t.

Confusing.

Sometimes.

At first sight?

Sometimes.

Know it when I see it?

Sometimes.

Grown over time.

Yes.

Grown over time.

The best possible explanation of an emotion that has so many meanings.

To earn it is true love. To gain it is true love too. To nurture and keep it healthy is akin to hitting it out of the ball park.

I wish that for you and yours. All the yous. All the yours.

In the meantime, let’s explore what the heck it is. Why it may drive us to the edge of our senses and to the edge of our common senses.😳

We will start somewhere in the middle.

Not too hot. Not too cold. Found somewhere in the pot of gold.🍀☘️🧩🧩

Love is considered both positive and negative.

With its virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection, as “the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.” (wk)

Love’s vice, its vice representing human moral flaw, akin to vanity, selfishness, amour-proper and egotism as potentially leading people into a type of mania, obsessiveness or codependency.(wk)

Why in the world would this be a good thing? Why would anyone want “this” love thing. Sometimes, sometimes, it is not a choice, an affair of the heart, or a motivation.

It is what it is.

I told you this would be an exploration.

I have no easy answers to offer.

Expanded, it may also describe compassion and affectionate actions toward other humans, one’s self, or animals. (wk)

Ok.

That sounds like a positive.

In its various forms, love acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in creative arts.(wk)

Getting a bit ahead of ourselves, however the concept is valid. Personal creativity is subjective like the tattoos we hold near and dear inked on our personhood.

Love has been postulated to be a function.

A function? That does not sound very 🥰 romantic.

Love is a function that keeps human beings together against menaces.

Hmmmm. Menaces.

I get that.

Against menaces and to facilitate the continuation of the species.

Hmmmmm. At all costs?

I do not think I understand that. Nor like this theory. But. It is a theory.

I do understand how regular folks may look at love. Because it is way simpler. Pure-er. A love that may affect and reflect freedom, to love and live, and autonomy to love and live. Sounds better. More humane, less mundane. More regardful, less regardless.

Without the menaces. Of “free” love projecting the feelings of “free” love as in free to be, you and me”? 😳 Sounds way more complicated. Perhaps a form of “stealing.” Sugar coated and grim-ey on the way up and down sounds menacing…..as something else……muddied.

One can love an object, a principle, or goal to which they are deeply committed and greatly value. Chances are very good, they followed the example of a good, honorable and sincere teacher.🙂.

Altruism.

Compassionate outreach and volunteer workers “love” of their cause may be born not of interpersonal love, but impersonal love. Altruism. And strong spiritual and political convictions.(wk)

People can “love” material objects, animals, or activities if they invest themselves in bonding or otherwise identifying with those things.

Maybe it feels good. Maybe it doesn’t. This is where true love “hides”. When your desire to do good out weighs your requirement to do good. Your duty toward another being outweighs your want to do good. Sounds complicated, however is quite the opposite.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Because we are on the younger side, here, there is also a kind of love involving sexual passion and it has a name. But. We are keeping this proposal “G” rated.

There is a time and a place for “everything” for “everyone”. Under heaven.

Love is as simple as one person believing in another person and showing it. What we really feel is reflected in what we do. (wk)

Giving without expecting to take. (Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer)

How beautiful.

Another perspective is that love comes from God, who is himself Love (1 John 4:8)

How beautiful.

The love of man and woman—Eros in Greek—the unselfish love of others is called “agape”— are often contrasted as “descending” and “ascending” love respectfully, but are ultimately the same thing.

How beutiful.

Let’s talk more beautiful concepts, healthy concepts of love:

Agape: In the New Testament, agape is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional. it is parental love, seen as creating goodness in the world; it is the way God is seen to love humanity; it is the kind of love that Christians aspire

Aspire

That Christians aspire to have for one another.

Phileo: Also in the New Testament. A human response. A HUMAN RESPONSE to something that is found to be delightful.

Two further love concepts in the Greek language is Eros (sexual love) Reminder: Keeping this “G”rated today. And “storge” NOT a STORAGE. As in a pod, shed, garage. Storge is the child to parent live.

How beautiful.

Christians believe that to Love God with all your heart, mind and strength and Love your neighbor as yourself are two of the most important things in life.

Love God, and do as thou wilt” St Augustine opined. (Not wilt like a flower wilting either) Wilt as in to grow upwards.🙂

That St. Augustine was on to something for he stated further: One must be able to decipher the difference between love and lust. Again keeping this “G” rated, lust is overindulgence, but to love and be loved is what he has sought for his entire life. He even says “I was in love with love”….Huh?😳

To explain. St. Augustine opined that the only one who can love you truly and fully is God, because love with a human only allows for flaws such as jealousy, suspicion, fear, anger, and contention.

Sounds human to me😵‍💫.

According to St. Augustine, to love God is to “attain the peace which is yours”.

How beautiful.

Christian theologians see God as the source of love, which is mirrored in humans and their own loving relationships. St Thomas Aquinas defined love as “to will the good of another”. (wk)

Tertullian wrote regarding love for enemies: “Our individual, extraordinary, and perfect goodness consists in loving our enemies. To love one’s friends is common practice, to love one’s enemies only among Christians.(wk)

Love encompasses the Islamic view of life as universal, brotherhood that applies to all who hold faith. The Quran exhorts Muslim believers to treat all people, those that have not persecuted them with birr or “deep kindness” as stated in Surah. Birr is also used in describing the love and kindness that children must show to their parents.

Buddhism and Hinduism speak of love, sexual love as an obstacle to the path of enlightenment (G rated reminder) There is a time and a place for all learning. ☺️ The burden of complete renunciation of oneself in order to take on the burden of a suffering world.

The philosophy of love is a field. A field of social philosophy and ethics that attempts to explain the nature of love. The philosophical investigation of love includes the tasks.

The tasks. A special and astute person is to be trusted with the tasks of your heart. May you be so lucky to sit across from this wise person and learn. The meaning and meanings of love. (lk,th)

Tasks include distinguishing between the various kinds of personal love, asking if or how love is or can be justified, asking what the value of love is, and what love has on the autonomy of both the lover and the beloved. (wk)

May you find yourself one day sitting across from a wise person and be asked the tough questions. This person radiates a love and peace that passes understanding. May you be so lucky to find yourself being asked the tough questions.