The month of Love

photo from eharmany

      As we get into the month of Love it makes me reflect on what exactly is love? We use so many words to describe what it feels like, what it truly means and how people treat you when they love you, and all of it is different and frankly very personal. My idea of love might be very different from yours and yet we feel very strongly that we know what love is.  I begin to realize that not only may your idea of love be different than mine, but also my own idea can be fluid and changes dependent on age, and life experience as I roll through my life.
     It starts out innocent and simple as a child and goes through cycles of fire and ice as we grow up. It evolves through relationships to family, friends and loved ones over and over. Things we thought we could never accept or survive change us and we see them differently. These experiences mold our understanding of what love is to us,  who we love, and why. Perhaps the idea of love makes us cynical because we are hurt, or maybe it makes us hopeful because it showed up in an unusual place and way to help heal us. Love is always changing, so how do we describe it?
     I suppose the most I can say is that love is what we each believe it to be. That it means something profound that we all want it and wish to share it with others. It matters little who we love, or how we love, but only that we do love. We define ourselves so much on it's presence in our lives. How many love us, how many we love. It makes us feel whole when we can truly love ourselves and be loved by others and share that love again and again. It is complex and simple at the same time. 
     No matter how you define love it is hard to deny that we all need it to thrive. It is the food for our souls. Perhaps that is why it causes so much happiness and so much pain. Love is everything.
  So as far as I am concerned love wisely the living first and most. Oh and share the love you have to others.

     May your month be filled with love!                      

​Dawn Rosell