Just Thinking: A Messageboard Response

I had typed out this long response yesterday and the message board got screwed so I'll try and recreate my wisdom from yesterday.

Love is so many different things to so many different people. Some people's idea of love is another person's idea of lust and vice versa.

To me love is different depending on whom you're expected to love and the situation.

My love of my self comes because it is necessary, it is spiritual, and it is sacred.

Love for self is what allows us to love people other than ourselves.

My love of my family comes out of gratitude for their constant support, their guidance, their providing for me, and their nurturing me.

Love of family honors your heritage and your legacy.

My love of my friends comes because they teach me, they inspire me, they challenege me, and they encourage me.

Love of friends is magical, because in my mind, "true friendship is like looking God straight in the face." (Dat's all me right there ;-)!)

My love of a significant other is a choice, a choice to devote myself to becoming better, and a choice to helping someone else achieve whatever it is that they want to achieve.

Love of another man or woman is sacrifice, but a sacrifice well worth all the work, because it allows you to help someone fulfill their ultimate purpose and destiny.

-CNEL$

P.S. If I saw love on the street nothing would have to be said, all that needed to be said would be communicated to me in her gaze. While I don't know if I've ever fallen in love at first sight, I do believe that there is more than just one person for every person out there. To me love is a process, you grow to love, you don't fall in love. If you fall into something you can very easily fall out. Love to me is growth, love to me is change, love to me is evolving. Love to me is hard work but with fair expectations.