Happy Valentine's Day!

It's Valentine's Day. Got Love?

What is my take on love? What do I think love is?

Love is a word with so many different meanings ranging from "I love cheeseburgers" to "love your enemy." Sometimes you can love without liking. Sometimes you can like without loving. Love can bring pleasure. Love can bring pain.

What is the kind of love that I strive for? I strive to love my children by taking care of their basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, affection, and hugs. I strive to love also by teaching them things that are sometimes hard lessons, like how to take responsibility for themselves and become independent, and what is right and wrong.

I strive to love myself by looking at all the good and bad in me and finding compassion.

The good things I love about myself:
Deep thinker
Compassionate
Peace keeper
Helper/counselor
A wild side that likes to come out once in a while
Passionate
Honest
Open
Affectionate
Balanced
Thoughtful
Self-aware

The bad things I love and care about in myself:
Needy
Lonely
Angry
Fearul
Impatient
Uncertain
Slow
Absent-minded
Forgetful

What is love in a romantic sense between two lovers? I'll give this a shot.

A balanced exchange of intimacy, where each person shares their reality without fear of judgment of the other. Fondness and affection for each other. Admiration and respect for each other. Acceptance of the good and the bad. Interest in one another's personal growth. Respect of personal boundaries. Freedom for each to be just who they are.

My thought is that love, in the romantic sense, isn't really love if it isn't shared by both people in a balanced way. It must be a mutual, two-way experience. That isn't to say that there won't be times when one experiences more love than the other, but overall there should be mutuality.

Wishing love to all of you on Valentine's Day!