I am a student of Love. I have spent everyday of my life contemplating this one complex emotion. I know more about Love and less about Love than I know about anything else. I have sought Love, found Love, lost Love, and found it again. And I'll keep doing just that.
The greek language has three words to designate Love. Because Love can manifest itself in so many forms and in varying degrees of intensity and connection, the word itself is both vague and obvious. The Love that I feel for my dearest friend would best be considered Philia, or mental Love. It is give and take, a loyalty that requires equality and familiarity. This Love is also experienced between long time lovers.
The Love that I feel for my partner and mate would be referred to as Eros, or physical Love. This is the Love that manifests itself in desire, in the union of two beings. Plato redefined Eros Love as more than passionate Love for the person; it is Love for the beauty within that person. A knowledge of spiritual beauty and a hunger for transcendence via that being.
The Love that many feel for their divine 'creator' would be considered Agape, or spiritual Love. An unconditional manifestation of emotion, not based on attraction, desire or equality. Love that does not need reciprocation; an emotional connection of the highest regard.
The greek have one more word for Love: Storge. This word is to describe affection, the form of Love that one experiences for another with whom they are fond. A natural Love that occurs without coercion, due to familiarity. I believe it this Love which I feel for every subject to stand in my lens, every dance partner I've experienced, and every cat that crosses my path.
Growing up, I had a pretty textbook idea of 'Love' and I believed whole heartedly in the notion of finding my prince charming, getting married, and living happily ever after. Every boyfriend I had was the one, and he was. He was the one at the time, but not for all time. My heart was always wide open and ready for the taking. I learned that I could Love more than one man at a time and that I would, without question, eventually have to choose. I learned this lesson once, and then twice.
The second time adding countless pages to the textbook on Love that I have been writing in my heart. Not all Love is to be kept. Some Love is selfish and self-serving, some of it is selfless and intrinsic. All of Love is good Love, but it can be abused, mis-used and disrespected. My heart has been broken more times that I can express, and sometimes the pain is self inflicted.
Some tell me that I am wild, because I cannot resist the opportunity to Love someone and the inconsistency is easily misunderstood. Once you are in my heart, I will keep you there always. My loving you will never end, it will just change phases. From Eros to Philia, and on to Agape, perhaps.
Some tell me that I am a prude, because I still have standards in a world where hedonism is hardly a taboo and chivalry is highly underrated. I may Love to Love but I will always look for the one who values my gift, not the one who seeks to use it, abuse it or possess it. I've learned that the heart isn't smart or all-knowing, it opens us up to potential and it is my curious nature that has me falling in Love with the potential of a being, and not always the reality of them.
But, I am at my best (and notably, my worst) when I have a partner. Because what I Love most is sharing my life, my heart, my thoughts and my passions. There is nothing I Love more than the opportunity to completely expose my heart, express raw emotion without filters and act on emotional impulses; because Love is a drug. It is my greatest vice, and equally, a virtue.
I fall in Love with things too, with experiences and knowledge. I loved to sing so I wanted to grow up and be a singer. I loved the mystery of ancient cultures so I wanted to be an archeologist. I loved cooking so I wanted to be a chef. I loved the structure of old houses so I wanted to be an architect. I Love the potential of the human mind and problem solving so I wanted to be a psychologist. I Love rocks and stones so I wanted to be a geologist. I've had a long standing Love affair with light and later with the infinitely beautiful nuances of the female form so I wanted to be a photographer. I Love books and words and thought for a long time that I could be a writer. I Love movement and expression so I wanted to be a dancer; I AM a dancer.
I'm not as intent on the institution of marriage as I once was. A forever Love seems a lot less likely. And happily ever after does not have to be with one person, or any person. I've found a new Love, Life. I can live happily ever after, in Love with Life. My home is in my heart, happiness is perception and all of it is my choice.
Please feel free to comment and add your love lessons, suggestions, and interpretations.
Love is infinite!
The greek language has three words to designate Love. Because Love can manifest itself in so many forms and in varying degrees of intensity and connection, the word itself is both vague and obvious. The Love that I feel for my dearest friend would best be considered Philia, or mental Love. It is give and take, a loyalty that requires equality and familiarity. This Love is also experienced between long time lovers.
The Love that I feel for my partner and mate would be referred to as Eros, or physical Love. This is the Love that manifests itself in desire, in the union of two beings. Plato redefined Eros Love as more than passionate Love for the person; it is Love for the beauty within that person. A knowledge of spiritual beauty and a hunger for transcendence via that being.
The Love that many feel for their divine 'creator' would be considered Agape, or spiritual Love. An unconditional manifestation of emotion, not based on attraction, desire or equality. Love that does not need reciprocation; an emotional connection of the highest regard.
The greek have one more word for Love: Storge. This word is to describe affection, the form of Love that one experiences for another with whom they are fond. A natural Love that occurs without coercion, due to familiarity. I believe it this Love which I feel for every subject to stand in my lens, every dance partner I've experienced, and every cat that crosses my path.
Growing up, I had a pretty textbook idea of 'Love' and I believed whole heartedly in the notion of finding my prince charming, getting married, and living happily ever after. Every boyfriend I had was the one, and he was. He was the one at the time, but not for all time. My heart was always wide open and ready for the taking. I learned that I could Love more than one man at a time and that I would, without question, eventually have to choose. I learned this lesson once, and then twice.
The second time adding countless pages to the textbook on Love that I have been writing in my heart. Not all Love is to be kept. Some Love is selfish and self-serving, some of it is selfless and intrinsic. All of Love is good Love, but it can be abused, mis-used and disrespected. My heart has been broken more times that I can express, and sometimes the pain is self inflicted.
Some tell me that I am wild, because I cannot resist the opportunity to Love someone and the inconsistency is easily misunderstood. Once you are in my heart, I will keep you there always. My loving you will never end, it will just change phases. From Eros to Philia, and on to Agape, perhaps.
Some tell me that I am a prude, because I still have standards in a world where hedonism is hardly a taboo and chivalry is highly underrated. I may Love to Love but I will always look for the one who values my gift, not the one who seeks to use it, abuse it or possess it. I've learned that the heart isn't smart or all-knowing, it opens us up to potential and it is my curious nature that has me falling in Love with the potential of a being, and not always the reality of them.
But, I am at my best (and notably, my worst) when I have a partner. Because what I Love most is sharing my life, my heart, my thoughts and my passions. There is nothing I Love more than the opportunity to completely expose my heart, express raw emotion without filters and act on emotional impulses; because Love is a drug. It is my greatest vice, and equally, a virtue.
I fall in Love with things too, with experiences and knowledge. I loved to sing so I wanted to grow up and be a singer. I loved the mystery of ancient cultures so I wanted to be an archeologist. I loved cooking so I wanted to be a chef. I loved the structure of old houses so I wanted to be an architect. I Love the potential of the human mind and problem solving so I wanted to be a psychologist. I Love rocks and stones so I wanted to be a geologist. I've had a long standing Love affair with light and later with the infinitely beautiful nuances of the female form so I wanted to be a photographer. I Love books and words and thought for a long time that I could be a writer. I Love movement and expression so I wanted to be a dancer; I AM a dancer.
I'm not as intent on the institution of marriage as I once was. A forever Love seems a lot less likely. And happily ever after does not have to be with one person, or any person. I've found a new Love, Life. I can live happily ever after, in Love with Life. My home is in my heart, happiness is perception and all of it is my choice.
Please feel free to comment and add your love lessons, suggestions, and interpretations.
Love is infinite!
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