What is love?
Amour...Amor... Amore...Liebe...Agapi
It's like a foreign language sometimes, am I right?
Seriously – what is love? I’m not just talking about the “til death do us part/holy matrimony” love. I’m talking about the love that brings warmth to a room, the love that comes from a small kindness like holding open a door, the love we (try to) have for ourselves, love that can change the world. That love. How do we define such a huge emotion?
During the month of February, it seems we are actually encouraged to explore love. It is a time of both acknowledgement and seeking…and often times revelation. Beyond the commercialism, the energy created by this heart-centered holiday can be profound. It is no coincidence that Valentine’s Day falls within the sometimes dark and dreary time of late winter. It is a timely reminder of warmth and light.
Which brings me back to the exploration of this emotion. Feelings are energy that cause sensation, right?
So love is energy.
Love is energetic.
Love is an energetic light.
Love comes from within.
Love is an inner light.
Love is a state of being.
Of giving.
Of receiving.
Of knowing.
Damn, our language itself holds such narrow definitions of love. It’s like my words can’t aptly describe it.
Defining love is tough. Finding the right words to describe it feels like I am placing boundaries or limits on it, though in my mind (and heart) - love has no boundaries or limits. Maybe love isn’t meant to be defined, maybe the language of love isn’t described in words - it’s just meant to be felt.
Maybe the question, then, is “When do I feel love?”
I feel love when I feel heard. I feel love when I feel safe and secure. I feel love when I meditate. I feel love when I do something kind for another. I feel love when I’m with people who get me. I feel love when my husband hugs me or takes a walk with me. I feel love when I’m with my dogs.
Over the years, I’ve learned that love isn’t just the stuff of movies or novels.
It’s really all about the day-to-day stuff.
Love is someone putting a blanket over you. Love is someone calling you simply to say hi. Love is someone stopping to listen to you. I mean, really listen to you. Love is when someone gives you their time.
Love is learning to embrace all the forms that love comes to you in.
Learning to embrace this inner-light of love, learning how to let it in and let it quench your whole being, even in the midst of a long, cold winter. Letting it warm you.
It is the work of a lifetime.
And every day, I have to remind myself to honor the love I find within, and I honor the love that continues to find me.
And, I think I just answered my own questions.
That’s my love language. And if I really think about it, it's not so foreign after all.