What is love?

When I was thinking about what is love.. first thought was “What is love, oh baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me no more” Love could be a Haddaway song from 1993. Love can be so many things to so many people

Love can be someone making food or drinks for others. It could be giving someone the space they need to sort things out. Maybe love is physical touch, kissing someone’s cheek or patting their hand. Maybe giving a massage when someone is hurting. Kind words go a long way for many. You could be the person who sits down for a movie or tea brings food to someone Your thing might be sharing a gift with someone

I’m a trained aromatherapist, I understand body mechanics, I understand pain. For me sometimes I show love in strange ways. My live-in family will tell it like a horror story. “She jabbed me in the shoulder as I wither in pain and then has the nerve  to ask “does this hurt?” Catching their breath to say yes that hurt, I move on to a plan of fixing the problem.  All the while they shoot daggers at me..Does this pain I cause mean I don’t love and care for them? I love them so much I want to help them.. 

For any that have seen the movie Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. Even if you have not seen it I will share. The son in the movie is a scientist, with good computer skills and invention minded. His dad is a Fisherman that runs a fish shop. Fishing is all he knows. He is always giving fishing metaphors, the son never understood till the end when they put a translator device on him.. all the fishing talk was a way to tell his son he loved him.. In my home, I used garden metaphors we all have our ways of saying, you are cared for and loved

Anyone that has read the Five Languages Of Love knows there are so many ways of sharing love. Sometimes our ways of showing and receiving love don’t match. 

During the pandemic, I have had to find different ways to express my love. I’m one that shows love through touch, time and service. I have not been able to see some of the people I love through the lockdown. I have sent gifts, made phone calls, drive-by meals at the door and online movie dates. Spending time with my pets is also a way I’m showing love.

Some of us have had to shut out feelings of love for one reason or another, love is not always easy. If someone is open to sharing a loving gesture with you, know they are likely trying to bring light to your world. It is ok not to feel love the way others feel love, it is ok to not say I love you with words. Sometimes that is something we need to work through as people that have had hurt. Learning to accept love after trauma, can be a hard step, move at a pace that works for your mind and heart.

Something I have learned, love is abundant, It is ok to love more than one person. For many years I had this thought that loving more than one person was wrong. Then I  thought about it differently thinking you have friends and family you care for, it is ok to own that feeling.

Looking forward to reading about your ways of receiving and sharing love with others.

Love songs Photo by Jacek Skorupski from Pexels