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Are all types of 'Love' the same?

February 14, 2019 0 Comments

Are all types of 'Love' the same?

Are all types of 'Love' the same?

As it's Valentine's Day and 'Love is all around us' (according to a particular pop song), I thought I'd take a break from business blogging topics and just for a change, put into words my personal take on the 'L' word.

I once debated that ‘Love’ consists of different types – parental, platonic, familial, romantic, but whatever the context it doesn't matter, all love has the same effect by making each of us and consequently the world, a better place.

We wax lyrical about the joy love can bring and the good it can do, but it’s equally important to recognise and be aware of what being without love can do, it can warp, corrupt and damage.

Whether a child growing up without the security and warmth of genuine love from a parent / parental figure, an adult without the love of a spouse, friends, colleagues, good neighbours, or the inability to love and accept ourselves, it shapes us into who we are, how we behave and how we treat others.

In an ideal world, love would mean the same to everyone, it would be unconditional, sincerely meant, given without ulterior motive or expectation of return, be reciprocal, never abused and always appreciated, but this isn’t always the case.

Love also isn’t just about grand romantic gestures, it’s thoughtfulness, forgiveness, kindness, listening to and caring about yourself and others, pulling in your chair to help a fellow restaurant goer pass, saying ‘Good Morning’ or ‘Thank you’ with a smile to the postman, not chastising oneself for not being the perfect mother, husband / provider, business owner (dare I say), asking how someone is, watering a potted plant to keep it alive, putting rubbish in a bin rather than littering and polluting the environment.

Those who have love in their lives can unwittingly take it for granted, and life can have the oddest and most unlikely of ways to remind you of its importance and how precious it is, sometimes making us question ourselves (and others) in the harshest and most honest of ways. But love can move mountains, end wars, heal pain, provide security and bring happiness to the soul. 

I may sound a little ‘New Age’, hippie ‘ish’, sickly sweet, in need of a slap (metaphorically of course 😁 ), but there is no great message I’m trying to convey to the world, irrespective of past actions or what may happen in the future, this is my personal truth, here and now. So if you’re able to give love, and lucky enough to be shown love in your life, accept and treasure it knowingly and willingly (unless it’s from a psychopath like the character in the Netflix TV series ‘You’………then run 😁)!

 

 

Dedicated to my husband, you make both the big wide world and my own little world, a much better place by just being in it xx