Love

"Love is not a habit, a commitment, or a debt. It isn't what romantic songs tell us it is - love simply is." ~ Paulo Coelho

 

Defining love is hard. Quantifying love is a challenge. Some folks don’t understand that when I love, it really is forever.

My family, first foremost and ALWAYS. They center my universe.

I still love my friend whose grave I first visited in 1981…

My old flame from college… still has a place in my heart. I still think of the fun and happiness he brought me and smile.

The boy who broke my heart in 1993… still I pray he becomes the man I know lies within him…

It is as though the potential to love grows each time I embrace a new person and say, “I love you”…

Or say goodbye to a loved one who is moving on… out of my life…out of my reach…

I embrace their chance at happiness… even in the absence of my own…

The child who is mine, but not really. Who has grown into a wonderful person with his parents and siblings, surrounded in love.

I maintain friendships that started in grammar school, high school, and college… I am often the one to call first… to touch base…

My love for all of them just is.

And as a result, I know that when I am in need, doubt, or huge trouble, I can pick up the phone and ask for help, advice, or a small dose of sanity.

Because real love just is.