♥ L-O-V-E

Photo by Sazaran

There are many kinds of love. The love of another that one would die for; the love for something so pure and innocent as a little child on the lap of his mother or the puppy whose every body part wags with excitement at the sight of his master; the love and honor for a parent or leader; love for memories; love for food.... the list goes on.

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” -C.S. Lewis

“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.” -Maurie Schwartz

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” -Mother Theresa

“Family love is messy, clinging, and of an annoying and repetitive pattern, like bad wallpaper.” -Friedrich Nietzsche
(One thing I have noticed about said family love is that it truly is like wallpaper- it lasts forever. If you try to peel it away, it doesn't work. You can paint over it but everytime those layers are removed, the wallpaper reveals itself with a little "ah-ha". Family love really is the same.)

“Home is a place not only of strong affections, but of entire unreserved; it is life's undress rehearsal, its backroom, its dressing room, from which we go forth to more careful and guarded intercourse, leaving behind...cast-off and everyday clothing.” -Harriet Beecher Stowe

“Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.”

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”

In reading and perusing these fabulous quotes, I began to think about Valentine's Day. Ugh. Then, a new thought came flying into the room and crashed into my head: I am not without love. I may not have the kind of love I want right now, but I am completely surrounded by the rich, ripe fruit of l.o.v.e. Christ's unfailing, heavy yet lightly-burdened, all-encompassing and sweet smelling love will always be with me. I have parents who love and support me, friends who uplift and cherish me, a son who makes it a point to give me dozens of kisses a day and others to continue to believe in me. I am one blessed lady. And I looooove you all back! One last quote to act as the heart shaped cherry on top of the heart shaped cupcake:

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around." - Love Actually.