What I Know About Love
This is a poignant ponder.
When I was 17 years old and madly in love with Titus, I thought I knew everything about love. When I was 23 years old, and in love with Gene, I thought I knew more about love and at 51 years old, when Rick planted sweet kisses on the back of my neck on the train headed to bliss, I realized I still had a lot to learn about love.
I am penning this piece because maybe what I am learning now about love will help get love out of the identity crisis it is in for so many.
I have learned that love comes how it comes.
It may or may not arrive in the package we have designed with our minds eye. In my case, it did not. It caught me by surprise as I was minding my own business and living my life.
Love is teaching me that it is a gift. It is not demanded or owed. It does not have an ounce of ego and it is gentle. It is sweet. It protects and nourishes and edifies. It allows you to grow, and fly, and wander, and get lost and do it all over again.
Love allows you the time to be with yourself, find yourself, rediscover yourself and maybe even repurpose yourself. It knows all of your love languages and it speaks to you accordingly.
Love does not hurt. It is mature. It knows how to speak, and it knows how to treat. It requires no negotiation, barter or compromise. It allows you to be who you are without censorship and edits. It does not stifle or restrict you. It is just there. Allowing you to Be. Appreciating you as you Be.
Applauding your milestones. Supporting your growth with the supreme understanding that it is not in charge of any of it…only you are.
It is bursting with expression, freedom, laughter, light, love, accountability, responsibility, sensitivity, passion and ecstasy.
It reminds you that everything that came before was either preparation or a con game. Preparation, you were learning. The con was guising as love while demanding you do something to earn it or keep it.
What I know now is that I will never be confused about it again and will appreciate every moment Love spends with me. It is Christmas Morning and New Years Eve night every single day wrapped in delight.
Conflict does not arise because Love yields, pause and understands. What are differences for those running the con, Love sees opportunity to understand, and it offers support.
Why? Because it has no ego and doesn’t demand its own way.
It gives everything and requires everything.
Thank you.
Dana Lena’
