When we are young, we tend to believe

Everything that people tell us.

We do not form a sense of understanding;

We let people let us

Into the grips of the palms of their hands and

We let them turn and twist us by

Twisting their words, until we turn and believe

Everything that people tell us.

 

 

We enter the stage of puberty,

Fogging pinched red cheeks into red-pimpled-cheek

“Pre-teens”

And at the drop of a bright red baseball cap, the minute

Any person tells us that he or she or they

“Love” us,

We chase hard after them and we dive straight into them because

We cannot wait to be clear-skinned-passion-hearted-anything-but

“Pre-teens”.

 

 

Honestly,

This seems to become the point of contention.

The “blurred line” effect begins its play at some point between

Fresh-faced-becomes-wrinkle-faced-becomes-gray-haired-crinkle-faced

Double digits and

Triple digits,

And, if I even attempted to make some sort of

Universal “Bible”, if you will, of when and where and why to start

Questioning things and ideas and people,

I would say

that I would not be qualified to do so,

Even if I, myself, had lived to tell about surpassing

Triple digits.

 

 

So, now, we look to what kind of love we are to

Let in.

Where is the “happy medium” between

Walls-up-keep-out, and walls-down-

Let-in.

How do we know?

How do we avoid our first and second and third and every

Heartache, heartbreak, change of heart, lose-something, move-on?

When is it foolish to trust words and when is it

a-okay, green-light-go, time-to-learn-how-to, time-to-start-to

Let in?

 

 

Well

Love is safe when

Love is active, when

Love is not earned, and when

Love is not conditional.

 

 

The focus of love is not to be taken, but

To be given and received.

The portion size of love is not a hundred and fifty ounces out, five ounces in.

It is to be twenty ounces out, twenty ounces in, and a

Kiss on the cheek.

 

 

The battle should not be

I love you more.

No, I love you more.

Shut up; I love you most.

The action of love should be

I love you.

And I love you.

Equally. Right back. And back again.

 

 

The timing of love is not

Right now, ASAP, rush in.

The timing of love is

Let nurture, enjoy growth, do not promise until you can

Deliver.

Soak in sun, drink up water, feed:

The love,

Each other,

And then, and only then,

Enjoy the blossom.

 

 

Lovers of all kinds,

Lovers of all shapes and sizes and colors and styles and reasonings,

Lovers, we must not jump in the moment we hear:

“Because I love you.”

It is not about the phrase that slips out.

It is about the action that follows.

 

 

Love is about

Common growth,

Common giving,

Common kindness, and

Common courtesy.

 

 

Love is about

Support of lovers’ health,

Support of lovers’ safety,

Support of lovers’ dreams,

Support of lovers’ dignity.

 

 

Love is about

Commitment through differences,

Commitment through challenges,

Commitment through development,

Commitment through uncertainty.

 

But,

Contrary to popular belief,

Love is not blind.

Love sees all and sticks with it,

Even if it means inconvenience,

But love is never,

Under any circumstances,

Compromise of morals,

Total selflessness,

You-matter-more-than-me,

I’ll-do-anything-you-tell-me-to-just-because-you-say-that-it-is

“Because I love you”

 

 

Rings, and promises, and vows, and titles mean nothing until

“Because I love you” is followed by an

Active, living, breathing,

Healthy, happy, good-moments-outweigh-the-bad,

Give-and-receive, never-lose-yourself-in-someone-else,

Never-complete-yourself-with-someone-else,

“Partner”-never-“better-half”-or-“other-half”-or-“I-would-die-without-you.”

Free-and-easy, life-improving, in-love-with-my-best-friend

Kind of love.

 

 

“Because I love you” is not an excuse.

“Because I love you” is active.

 

 

Love is saying, and doing, these words:

“Because I love you,

I will never stop supporting your well-being.

I will always be your benefit and never be your burden.

I will (as my grandma always says), truly, and openly, and deeply love you

More today than yesterday.

Because I love you,

I always have, and I do, and I always will,

Love you.”