Heart You

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 Heart You

Wanda Wade

All you need is love, according to the lyrics of a song sang by The Beatles.  Is this true?  Is love all we need?  Is it something that makes the world go round?  Or a many splendored thing like Nat King Cole suggests?  My answer to all three would be yes.  Why?  Simple. Everything begins and ends with love.  It gives us meaning.  It allows us to be a part of something that is greater and bigger than what we are by ourselves.  Love teaches us to give, trust, believe and forgive.  It has been known to define us, complete us or escape us.  Relationships have begun and ended with love.  Love can make you smile, laugh, or even cry.  It can create the highest of highs or even the lowest of lows.  Still, without it, there's nothing.    

When I think about love it makes me smile.  It evokes thoughts of all those that are close to me, from family to friends and even to the special guy in my life. Though what I share with all three is indeed love, I love them all differently.  My love for my family is unbreakable.  A love that was created at conception and has grown with each passing year. Through celebrations, disagreements, accomplishments and sadness we manage to hold onto the very thing that strengthens us, our love for one another.  The way we come together is something that happens naturally. There's no math involved, nor is a compatibility test needed.  It doesn't require us to have chemistry or a specific energy, it's just something that is, like knowing that gravity is a force that causes two things to pull toward each other. This is a perfect analogy of what my family and I share.  It gives depth to the love that we share through our connection as a family.

As close as I am to my family, I share a bond with my friends that allow me to express those parts of myself that I don't share with my family.  The only expectation required in friendship is just that, to be a true friend.  It's a relationship like no other.  I can let go, let loose, and be true to the core part of who I am.  It's an unconditional love that encourages me to grow and one that doesn't relish in my mistakes. I rely on this friendship to bare truth. It has taught me to give freely, accept unconditionally and it’s been a safe haven for all those secrets that only a friend’s ears are privy to.  It’s a welcomed love and one that sets the standard for the balance between the true meanings of give and take.

Romantic love is something that most people are in search of.  It's that intangible thing that drives us. As people we have this insatiable need to belong to someone, to connect to another person. It makes us feel whole, not so alone, like we're a part of something special.  We long for a connection that is believed to complete us.  Romantic love can be all of these things and more, and because it’s ever changing it allows growth in the relationship.  In the beginning, the love is fresh, new and exciting.  That longing to spend hours on the phone or even in each other’s company gives way to getting to know one another better.  As time progresses and the two of you become more familiar with one another the connection should create a level of comfortability, which in time leads to a state of familiarity. This love is wanted, desired and necessary because it teaches us to love openly and trust blindly. Though it requires a monogamous commitment the rewards are well worth it.  Those feelings of closeness are almost certain to solidify the oneness that you experience in this type of coupling and the biggest reward of romantic love is that it offers a chance at a lifetime partnership.   

Although all three love relationships are different they all provide something needed in each human encounter. The love shared between families is given without question, while the connection through friendship is one of choice.  Romantic love may be a little more challenging than the other two because anyone who’s been in love has learned that matters of the heart demand and require a certain level of care and consideration.  Whether you fall in love quickly or it's one that develops over time, the emotional commitment and the physical connection intertwine to form a union that is surely to put you on a path to becoming one.  And with this kind of love, the forces of nature are surely to be tested.

Though all three offer a unique human experience they should be embraced openly.  Allow yourself to love and in return be open to being loved as well.

Be open to give and receive love - wanda wade