Thread: Lingering Thoughts... (Cyg's Journal)

Love... Ah, a topic I, like so many, have struggled with a time or two. A topic that crosses my mind at least once a day. I think, I could write almost write a book about love but I will strive here to consolidate my efforts. The Samurai Ideal of Love The extreme attitude of love is a secret feeling of love. It is like this I will love to death, with my inner thoughts never revealed Let others know it by my death smoke. ... The extent of love is limitlessy long when you carry through with your love till death. Even if the other person asks you, Isn't it this? As though to quantify love. How much do you love me - Isn't it that you love me? You answer her by, Such a thing has never entered my head. Hakagure pg. 61 My mother once said Love is like a ring, a circle, there is no beginning, no end, it is eternal. No matter how or whom you may love, this remains constant. True love never really ends, never really dies. I feel, at this point, it is important to note the different kinds of love one can experience, in no particular order Love of ones Family Love of ones Friends Love of ones Children Love of ones Mates The first three I think we are all familiar with to varying degrees. It's the last one that's tricky. Yes, I do believe one can quite easily love more than one person as a mate. We'll just get that out of the way now. Love is so many, many things. There are seemingly endless poems written about love. I have found, there two things about love that are undeniably true 1. It can make you or break you. 2. When you're in love you know. You need not say it, announce it, or proclaim it. When you're really there, you just know. So many people I've seen that think they are in love. I say think because they're really not. I see it and it stirs something in me, part of me even becomes a little angry. I can't help but think OH you really have no idea. This not only applies to the younger demographic, teens and adolescents, I've seen adult men and women behave just as carelessly. Sure, they'll tell you time and again how much they love someone as if all the cosmos and heavenly bodies would come to a screeching halt as they look upon this person. But, when put under the least bit of pressure, it ends, often terribly. This is lust, if anything. Hopefully when it comes crashing down both parties involved learned something valuable from the entire ordeal. Love is not a fragile thing, like a glass waiting to be knocked from the table, hitting the floor only to shatter into millions of pieces. True love can withstand nearly any test. So, then what does it mean when you are truly in love with someone? It means you've found happiness within them and around them. You become consumed by this quiet desire to make the person you love happy. Often this inspires change in you, if only slightly, sometimes the changes in you are enormous. You find yourself doing things or not doing some things you used to. Not because of some pre-ordained obligation but because you want to, because you love this person. I suppose it's different for everyone but the best way I can describe it is this A storm raging inside you, fierce and constant but peacfully quiet. It's unlike anything else. There is no thinking you're in love. There is no convincing yourself of it. You'll know. Like I said, love can make or break you. Love can be one of the most joyous things in the world. It can make you feel strong enough to take on the entire world. It can fill your soul with joy like you've never known. But, it can also be the most painful and devastating force you'll ever encounter. Enough to break even the strongest spirit. Have you ever made love to someone when they were just having sex? Have you ever been with someone but loved another? Have you ever had to watch the person you love marry someone else? Or have you even been in love but the other person is absolutely clueless? Have you ever looked into the eyes of someone you love and knew they were thinking about someone else? I've been unfortunate enough to experience the painful side a time or two. All it takes is that one time though. when you look into the eyes of someone who loves you, truly loves you and nothing else seems to matter. It's in that very moment, when you know, and everything else just washes away and you're filled to the brim with delight. Whether you've recently lost your love or just have not found them yet, don't give up. Love has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you're least prepared. If you have that special someone, take a moment to hold them close and revel in that quiet storm.