Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at it destination full of hope. – Maya Angelou
Do you “love” chocolate? Or do you “love” your friends and family?
What does that mean?
Love is a very imprecise word in English. Would a person who “loves” a particular type of food (as an example) do any of the things listed in the quote, just to get that food? Well, perhaps excepting the first cup of coffee or a particularly yummy piece of chocolate, but otherwise probably not, right?
Instead, this quote sounds more like the kind of love that shows up in Shaksperian plays (“Wherefore art thou Romeo?”) or in the hearts of truly committed loving relationships, such as a parent to a child, lovers, or something similar.
Sometimes, it is a broader love of one’s fellow humans. Examples include a soldier who covers a grenade to protect their buddies. Broader still was the love shown in a recent story, where the driver of an out of control truck went to great lengths to avoid people, and ended up dead, crashed in a river, but sparing everyone else.
The ending is the most important part of the quote. Hatred can drive a person to do the first part of the quote, as can several other strong emotions. What differentiates these emotions is what you are left with when you have arrived at your destination. That, in my opinion, is the key.
Why is a deep, abiding love important?
In this quote, the love being discussed is not your “I love hot dogs” kind of love. Instead, it’s the more the “climb every mountain, ford every stream”…”until you find your dream, a dream that will need all the love you can give” (from ‘The Sound of Music’). I believe this deep kind of love is what the quote is describing.
Perhaps you’ve never been there, but try to think back about a few of your “madly in love” moments, and what you were willing to do, or do without, to be with them. Regardless of the wisdom of these actions (real or imagined), that is the kind of deep love I believe the quote is discussing.
How did such situations make you feel when the feeling was running strong? Would you have jumped hurdles, leap fences, or even smashed through walls? That is a powerful motivation, especially when you are full of hope at the end of the journey, having overcome all obstacles.
Where can I apply this in my life?
The answer to this question depends on your situation. Are you already in a love relationship? Is it “the” relationship? If so, you might want to work on building it to the point where you both feel this way. If not, you might want to consider how you are going to wind this one down and get started on the search phase for the next candidate (sorry, that sounded awfully cold).
What about your really close friends. Are there any that, if they called and needed your help in another city, you would book the flight, then clear your calendar? Or would you check your calendar first, and then let them know if you could make it?
This level of committment, of platonic love, doesn’t have to be reciprocated, but it helps. If you have a friend (or friends) like this, what are you doing to make sure things stay this strong between you? Family bonds often fall in this category, but it is possible to overuse even a close relationship.
What about concepts or ideals? Do you love Liberty enough to do the things described in the quote? How about Freedom? Justice? Peace? Throughout the world this past spring (and continuing to this day), there have been people protesting, fighting, and dying for the love of these things. Of which of these concepts or ideals are you enamored? Enough to jump hurdles, leap fences, or penetrate walls to arrive full of hope, not hate?
As you might have guessed, I don’t really have much in the way of hints on how to love others, as it is very different for each person. However, I hope you have taken some time to consider how love impacts your life, and that you’ve thought about how you can keep what you have and expand it.
Love, it’s what makes the world go ’round. We all have the potential, but are we using our potential to our fullest potential? That is the question I infer from today’s quote. I doubt that I ever will, as each time I open my heart more to the power of love, I realize that there is still more to give.
How do you answer that question?
From: Twitter, @AR_Foundation
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mayaangelo389446.html
Photo by Lars Plougmann
