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What It Means To Love
By
Joan E. Thompson |
Plymouth
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What is love? Is it an
Act? A relationship? A perspective or viewpoint? A
sensation? A state of being? A state of belonging? Is it all
that – and more?
How often we miss-speak the word love. “I love lasagna.”
Certainly I enjoy eating it – I especially enjoy its taste.
But do I “love” it? Am I in relationship with all lasagna?
Or is it certain recipes for lasagna that I particularly
enjoy? I have had lasagna that I did not enjoy, much less
love. “Love one another.” Everyone? Strangers? Those who
harm someone else? Themselves? Not an easy commandment to
practice. And what does it mean to love “one another?” Help
or befriend them? Listen to them? Share with them?
St. Valentine’s Day reminds us of romantic love. Yet that is
only one aspect of love. How might we expand our own
capacity to love – and be loved? Love. To Act carefully,
thoughtfully, out of respect and honor for another.
Spiritual love. Joined in spirit with another. Feeling at
“one” with the other. On the same spiritual path, whether
traveling together or separately. Sharing values and
practices even if learned from different Prophets.
Emotional love. Empathetically connected with the other.
Feeling their pain, without judgment or assumption. Able and
willing to just be, with them. Physical love. The sensual
enjoyment of touch, taste, smell, seeing, hearing and
sensing an other.
Early in RSVP’s program of matching Court Grandparents to
children whose divorcing parents were having trouble
honoring each other’s visitation rights, a volunteer
reflected on the love he had to share with the children
suffering through the conflicts of their parents. “Yes, of
course I love these children. I am blessed with
grandchildren of my own. I love them all. That’s the secret
of love. The more you give away, the more you have to give
away!”
Volunteering is about living your love. Being generous with
your time and energy; giving them away for the sake of
someone else. May you feel all that love – and more – this
Valentine’s month and every month beyond!
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About The Author
Joan
Thompson is the Executive Director for Mayflower RSVP, Inc.,
a non-profit organization mobilizing Volunteer Service
Activities in Plymouth County. She may be contacted at
RSVP’s Plymouth County headquarters by telephone at (508)
746-7787 or via email at RSVP@MayflowerRSVP.org.
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