Love

So what does it really mean to love someone? I often wonder any more if the world really knows anything about that anymore. It's Mother's Day so this seems pretty appropriate to discuss.

If there's one thing my mother taught me, is that if you love someone, it's no matter what. There are no conditions to love... you don't love someone 'if they", or "because they", you love them because they are who they are. You accept their faults, you love, not despite them, but because of them.

This isn't the same as staying with an abusive partner, or enabling a drug addict.

As a matter of fact, you remove yourself from the abusive relationship and hope they find help or move on. You support the drug addict through rehab, to help them make their lives better. You help make the lives of the ones you love better, through whatever means you can.

The problem with this, is that it doesn't require the other person to reciprocate... and you often end up in the situation where you love someone, and they don't return it. You can end up giving more than you will ever receive back... at some point you can end up wanting, wishing... standing there with your heart in your hands, offering everything you have, everything you can give to make someone you love happy.

Being used hurts... being unable to give, being unable to help... feeling as though what you have isn't enough, hurts more. Not being able to help those you love, is the most painful thing ever.

There aren't many left in the world willing to love like that. Most people are too worried about what can be done for them, what they're going to get, about their own hearts. It's a scary world any more.

Everyone has problems, and everyone focuses on their own problems (I'm no less guilty of this than anyone else, when I'm hurt and worried I can be a royal selfish annoying mean witch with a capital B... something I'm working on, but trust me, any progress is slow and I still manage to hurt people far more often than I want to), but it is something we all need to work on... setting aside our own problems, understanding the needs of others, and trusting they'll come back and help you after they're better.


Love sucks, love is work, but generally it's worth it. All you need is love... if both sides are willing to give it and receive it.