What Is Great Love?

Life is reflected by the view we have from our own life experiences. CL Landreth

“Life is what we make it; always has been, always will be.” ~ Grandma Moses

Over the last few months, I have become more open in some of my future hopes and dreams, and in doing so, have learned some perceptions other people have about my life choices, which I never knew. There is a quote from someone which goes something like, “What other people think of me is none of my business.” I love the idea of that quote, and as a parent, I adopted it for the most part. As a single woman, I have defended my position. I would rather be single than settle.

Yet, I am a romantic at heart. I would love nothing more then to fall deeply in love if my love fell as deeply in love with me. There are a few, unfortunately, only a few relationships that I would aspire to attain in my life. Somehow, society has defined happiness as being in love. More than that, happiness is living with a significant other and or being married. I believe they think unless you are coupled with someone, you don’t honestly know joy. I am not saying everyone feels this way. However, I do believe more feel this way than don’t.

I have an abundance of love in my life and believe that love has given me the ability to be selective in my choices and when to be open to take a risk and let my guard down. Today I went to check my mail, and a friend had sent a card which made me realize the gift of great love.

We equate great love to a significant other; in whatever terms that may mean to you based on your preferences and life choices. However, great love to me is love that is given freely and openly without any exchange. Love expands as we share, and when we allow ourselves to be open and give love freely without expectation, our capacity to love also grows.

I read the words from my friend, which were open and made me feel the love she was sharing in those words, and the time she had taken to open her heart and share those words at a moment I needed them was priceless.

Our words and actions have tremendous power, and when we speak from a place of love, we allow ourselves to lift others. We sometimes get frightened; others will not reciprocate our love, so we hold back on sharing our love with others.

Countless great love stories end in deception and heartache. Then there are great loves that build strong parent-child bonds or friendships which last decades. Great love is love without expectation and given freely; it desires to lift those who have a place in our hearts.

When we are at a crossroads, we feel vulnerable. We pull back, assuming the worst is around the corner. Yet, if our love is truly genuine, would we not give it freely and trust the outcome to be wherever our path leads? Or is that being naive?

I have spent a lifetime protecting my heart from romantic love, and I am single. I have spent the same lifetime being open to the love of friendship, and the depth and amount of love I receive from those friends is abundant. So why not try being just as available when it comes to romantic love?

I wonder where our lives would go if we just focused more on giving love and saying what we mean from a place of love instead of trying to get others to love us.

• Do you allow your love to flow freely without expectation?

• How do you feel when love is given freely to you?

• Have you witnessed the more love you give the more love you have to give?

• Is loneliness a lack of love in our lives?

• Where can you give love freely?

CL Landreth #Changeorbechanged