Loving Another

This week, we will delve into a topic that people have debated for centuries.  That topic is love.  We have always wondered what it is, always tried to describe it in other words, but there is no better word to describe love than the word "love".  Everyone seems to have a different opinion on the topic and a different idea of what it is, how to attain it, and its purpose in one's own life.  It is one of the few topics that are tangible but theoretical. It also describes something that is very real, but also not materially existing.  The following quote came from a man named Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher.  He also founded Taoism, which is based off of his writings.  Read the quote below and think about it for a few minutes.  Let it bounce around, and see if it sparks any ideas.

Were you able to make sense of it at all?  Does it almost seem pointless?  Or does it make no sense whatsoever?  Is there any way you can apply this to your own life?  I will start with this; I understand that this subject can be touchy for some.  However, it may be worth discussing, perhaps learning something new in the process.

I can quickly associate this quote in my own life, but I myself, am not entirely sure why or how it exactly fits.  We all have parents, and we are told that they love us unconditionally.  It has always been a part of human nature to have a sense of belonging and to have this desire to be cared for by someone and to care for others.  When you do have that sense of belonging, it gives you the strength to go new highs and new distances.  You stop worrying about belonging, and finding a home, and worry more about living your life.  You always know that there is someone who has your back when something goes wrong, and that there will always be someone that will catch you when you fall.  It gives you the strength to make that leap, even though you may not be sure if you can make it to the other side, because you know that there are those that are holding the rope to bring you back to try again. 

That is what it feels like to be on the receiving end.  So what happens to us when we are the delivering end?  According to this quote, it gives us courage.  Courage is another one of those ideas that there are so many different interpretations of.  It's difficult to label exactly what courage is.  It gives you courage to move on in life.  To get through those bad days and to look forward to the next day.  It allows you to know that there is something good in this world, that all is not just full of bad things.  It takes courage to push on in this world.  

Don't forget, that Lao Tzu specifies loving DEEPLY.  I don't believe he means just the everyday talk of loving someone, as we know it, or just liking someone.  He means unconditional and love that is lasts until death.  The care and love you have for someone that you know will never, ever go away.  And not only do you know that it won't go away, but you then experience over the course of the life time that it still remains.