Love is...
LOVE IS... By Karen A. Lech
Love, what a trip! The emotion that grabs us by the heart and
takes us on a roller coaster through life or some period of
time. Love makes us senseless, smile more, foolish, starry-eyed,
happy to the point of bursting, and can make us cry enough to
fill a new ocean. During a conversation recently with a friend
of mine, we talked of a woman he heard tell of locally who was
having a bad time of it. It seems she and a significant other
purchased a beautiful home, which in the area where he lives, is
very expensive. The woman and her significant other had been
together two years and she discovered he had a problem with
gambling, hence was working three jobs to pay the rent, or
mortgage, whatever. Evidently, she came from quite a wealthy
background and owned a home elsewhere in that province, and had
quite an inheritance. My friend was appalled at this, and felt
logically she could live very comfortably... why was she doing
this? At first, hearing these sketchy details, I thought, wow,
why is she doing all this if she really does have such a
"financially comfortable" background? It just seemed kind of
odd, and with my own financial difficulties, I sympathized to
some extent at that moment... until it hit me. There was a
reason for her activities, not just financial loss, not just
paying the rent...it was LOVE. Probably not just love for the
gorgeous house, more likely love for her man.
Love can make you do things you would never normally do or
logically do. Love is... -accepting those you love despite their
faults. -a totally ILLOGICAL and unpredictable grip and trip of
your strongest emotions. -going to many or any lengths for
another, for the ones you love. Sometimes it hurts and takes
spending time, which in these days, people seem to have so
little of. -getting a phone call at 10:30 p.m. from a neighbor
who says she thinks her appendix burst and taking her to
hospital and staying with her through surgery until 2 a.m., even
though you have work the next day. - not justifying the time you
spend with someone for a mini vacation so you can put the trip
on your expense account and do some business while you're there.
- holding the hand of a bereaved friend - selling your house so
you can use the equity to help your kids get a start, a much
needed vehicle. - wanting to be with your loved one as much as
possible - so many other things that I could use a forest of
trees' worth of paper to keep on going - the warmest feeling you
will ever know.
To quote a favorite song of mine, the lyrics of which make a lot
of sense to me, anyway...
"When somebody loves you, it's no good unless they love you...
all the way. through the good and lean years and for all the in
between years..."
Love. .. A rocket ship trip to the moon and stars, a dream come
true, sharing and shattering, caring to the fullest extent,
putting self on the back burner, and the greatest gift you can
give and receive.
Thanks for reading!
Karen A. Lech copyright 2006