Love

So I'm posting later today than I normally would, but that's because I've been busy. I got back probably around an hour ago and I've been working since then. On the other hand, I had a bit of a conversation, and I guess it warrants a post on that oh-so-wonderful topic that I feel just needs to be touched on occasionally in writing...just because: Love. Yes, the L-word that people talk about, wonder about, dream about, fret over. It never fails to be interesting...to say the least.

I once read in a book, "A crush is the path to a secret heartache." I guess I understood it then. But at the same time, it is one of the most wonderful feelings known to man--one of the most hopeful, gracious, excited emotions we can experience is love for another person. I personally haven't been fond of using the word "crush"...it fell out of fashion for me many years ago. But at the same time, those five letters, the single syllable, it all carries such a light yet poignant essence that explains the simplicity and the complexity alike of that medley of emotions.

On the other hand, though...isn't a crush nothing more than unrequited love? Is it nothing short of heartbreak and an unreturned set of emotions? Perhaps it is. But when we are bound up in such a love, we often find ourselves missing out on what we long for most--the excitement, the hope, the sensation of never knowing what will happen next, of always being tense for what may come to pass. Too often, we think of ourselves as trapped by the feeling, restrained in our actions and our words, left to the whim of those from whom we fell. What we forget to see is that really, we are leaping among clouds, smiling and laughing when we least expect to, constantly hoping, perpetually distracted by one sweet thought or another.

While it is the most crippling feeling, love is also the most liberating. People don't want to fall in love because they don't want to be hurt by it anymore. But it isn't the love that causes the pain...it's everything surrounding it, it's the fallout of unpleasant emotions after such elation that does. Human nature is a forgetful one, and no matter how deeply a heart has been hurt, it has the inevitable tendency to eventually forgive. That's what makes love such a wonderful adventure--from the playful glances and uncertain beginnings, to the painful solitude that may mark the end--it is a journey. It is a trip we all take at least once in a while, whether for pure amusement or because it means the world to us. Love has a magic all its own; never, ever let yourself forget.