The word ‘love’ is used a lot. Even Facebook has an emoji to express love of a comment.
But what is love? Poets have “waxed eloquent” about love for centuries: Elizabeth Barrett Browning spoke of loving to “the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach”; 14th century Persian mystic Hafez noted that “love lights up the whole sky!”; Christians have been commanded to love
… love God, love your neighbour as you love yourself.
We say that we ‘love’ the colour and variety of flowers, the freedom and beauty of birds, the smell of newborn babies, the taste of chocolate, the playfulness of kittens and puppies, the sound of laughter, the touch of a lover’s hand, certain food, certain school subjects, certain types of music, certain seasons of the year, certain people.
Thich Nhat Hanh says that real love begins “where nothing is expected in return.” I like that. A lot.
Nope. I love it.
Text & Photo © June Maffin
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