Hello friends

 

It’s 4 am here, I’m failing miserably at trying to sleep, so I’m giving up for the moment, in order to share some more thoughts with you, running through my head ... inspired by our Ambassador John Sanchez and his quest to find his true love … his soul mate.

 

Since the beginning of time, men and women have been falling in and out of love like it was some kind of fashionable trend. People aspire to it, men, (and women), have killed in its name, we all daydream about it at some point; children give it freely, adults are cautious who they give it to, some may delude themselves that they are feeling it or experiencing it, and some may never experience it at all in their life. 

 

If you stop to think about it, this very simple “four letter word” has the ability to make one person ecstatically happy, whilst it makes another completely despair.  The simple uttering, of the words, “I love you” can mend a broken relationship, it can heal wounds and it can break down barriers between people of completely different cultures and backgrounds; and it can make right … a whole load of wrongs.

 

I found this definition of love at Wikipedia:

 

Love is a profound feeling of tender affection for or intense attraction to another. People in love are often considered to have "good" interpersonal chemistry, in addition to romantic love, which is characterized by a mix of emotional and sexual desire, other forms include platonic love, religious love, familial love, and the more casual application of the term to anyone or anything that one considers strongly pleasurable, enjoyable, or desirable, including activities and foods. This diverse range of meanings in a single word is commonly contrasted with the plurality of Greek words for Love, reflecting the word's versatility and complexity.

 

Based on this definition then, for all intents and purposes, “LOVE” is an abstract concept … If it’s merely a feeling, then it’s not a tangible real, it’s something that we construe in our inner being, or in our minds, our souls…  (even though it feels very tangibly real, to the person experiencing it and causes all kind of chemically, physical and emotional reactions). 

 

Perhaps … because we are creatures of God, we have this built in sense of Love, all being, all seeing and all eternal … which means we can spot it a mile off, when we see it ….. but then, if that were completely true, why would we make so many mistakes and have such a high global divorce rate? …. Or is that simply because multitudes now marry only for interests, other than love?

 

Perhaps love is more like an idealistic state we aspire to be at ….  and have around us in our daily life…something we define a set of rules for, in our own minds, and, consequently compare our desired person’s behaviour to…. (which suddenly makes it conditional … rather than unconditional which is how I feel love is suppose to be … isn’t it?)… in order to decide whether we are loved or not.

 

In all truthfulness, isn’t LOVE just another question of perceived reality? … Isn’t it the way we wish to see it? … We know it alters from individual to individual, thankfully, otherwise we would all end up loving the same person!!! …

 

One person never loves the same as another and one individual never experiences love the same as another …..

 

We know that it has the ability to stir different emotions, in different ways, in different people.  We, also, know that there are different types of love we can all experience.

 

So … in light of this … could love not be the “ideal match between the abstract concept definition we have outlined in our minds and the existential reality of the desired person we have before us”? … In other words, the more boxes we can tick on our checklist about someone, the better they do in their chance of being loved by us? …. But then … if that were true … love would be a mere convenience ….

 

….but they say that true love has no beginning ….because it's impossible to pinpoint how, where, why or when ... and that it has no end ... because it is just about as eternal as the universe itself ...

 

Well, it’s now 5.30am …. And I really need to try and sleep ….

…. but, my questions to you, my friends, are:

 

What, exactly, is true love to you? … (ie. how do you define it?) …. How do you measure it? … (ie. how do you decide if you’re loved enough or not loved at all) …. How and what do you compare it to?… (ie. what models do you use for comparative purposes) …What is your idea of a soul mate? …

 

Have a wonderful weekend everybody ... I hope this doesn't keep you up as late as me ... lol

 

Best wishes

 

Venerina

Dear Venerina,

as usual your posts always give us something to think about !!!

Being a Christian, I would definately speak from a christian perspective.

To me, Love is very much a reality that exists....like the colours Black and White....its the shades of pale inbetween that we get mixed up and confuse it with the real thing..and tend to call it love..but really is it ????????? No it can never be, maybe for a time it will seem like it is....its where it leads you too that will discern what it really is.

True love  to me is as defined in the Bible !!! For those who have been touched by the UNCONDITIONAL love of God, will know what it is to love unconditionally...not looking for anything back, except the reward from the one who has put LOVE   our heart first of all !!!! heres a nice quote i'd like to share with you, ive already shared it with some, have'nt I ??

This to me Dear Venerina is what True love is all about !!!!! In my opinion tho !!!!!!! those who are capable of loving this way will surely find true happiness !!

Loads of luv to you prettyone !

God Bless

Pauline R

Oh just one more bit to add; I think the Greek word for this kind of love is AGAPE LOVE !!!!! luv to u V Pauline R

Hi Venerina!  :-)

Wow!  You've conjured up a great post here.  From 1 thought you came up with so many poinys upon which to pivot.  To answer your ?'s from my personal P.O.V.........

What, exactly, is true love to you?  To me, TRUE LOVE is more than a feeling.  It is more than just merely how you feel for someone.  It is something that has no definite beginnning.......and no end.  Because it has always been there.  It is who you are @ your most basic level.

How do you measure it?  Love is unmeasurable.  If you are able to assess a value to the level of which you THINK you love someone.....then it is NOT love.

How and what do you compare it to?  I beleive the expierience of feeling TRUE - unconditional love is uncomparable to anything on earth.

What is your idea of a soul mate?  I am not sure if I agree that people really have a "soulmate".  (1 person that God made specially for you)  However, if I was to have an idea?........That person would be someone I could not live without.  Someone who can finish my sentences.....Knows what I'm thinking......how I feel inside.......without me even saying one word....

That's my take.......Have a great weekend!  :-)

 

v,
brien just said everything i would say, and have been saying. i hope you get it figured out. i really do. i also think you know true love, but you are too smart to know you do. with that said, remember you are loved.
mumsie