What is Love?

LOL

#Love overshadows Lockdown

Hello February!

Fondly referred to as the Month of Love, showered with Cupid’s confetti and glowing with the blessings of Saint Valentine. A month to fall in love, grow in love or recapture the true essence of love.

But, what exactly is love?

Love has typically been depicted as romance – what a travesty!

Countless movies and award winning love songs seem to speak only to this part of love, narrowing our understanding of love as simply romance.

So, what exactly is love?

Isn’t it so much greater, so much more fulfilling and so much more powerful than we’ve been led to believe? It really can move mountains, heal wounds and break down strongholds.

Think of the dance of love between Elsa and Anna as sisters in the movie, Frozen – the lengths they go to to protect their relationship and cement their loyalty to each other.

Think of the love parents have for their children and their passion to provide a safe and nurturing home for their families.

Think of the love shared between children and their grandparents – the gratitude, joy and simplicity in this unique relationship.

Think of the positive emotions that drive the ‘caring’ professions that bring about so much good in society.

All LOVELY. All OUTSTANDING. All LONG LASTING.

#LOL

We do LOVE a huge disservice when we diminish it to just romance!

Where romance can be spellbinding and somewhat temporary, Love is permanent and self-sacrificing. Where romance shows off with loud music, flowers and expensive chocolates, Love appears quietly and confidently with no reason to draw attention to itself. Where romance makes you feel like you’re on top of the world, Love moves you to want to make the world a better place for others.

A very wise man named Paul, defined love in a way that resonates with me, calls me higher and gets to the nitty gritty –

Love is patient and kind

Love does not envy or boast

It is not proud, self-seeking or rude

It is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres

Love never fails!

Our children need to be taught the power of love which can overshadow all our real and present frustrations in the current lockdown as we navigate the “new normal” way of life. Love can also curb the incessant lure to be consistently liked by social media friends and followers.

MORESO now, in lockdown, it is imperative that our children see love displayed in its glorious simplicity as we do most of our family living in closer knit bubbles! We are mirrors around them, reinforcing the true meaning of love. Beyond what they see in Disney and Netflix, TikTok and Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, they watch us too.

How are we showing love in lockdown? Remember, Love can overshadow the frustrations of the lockdown (LOL!)

*Showing thanks and appreciation for each other – having an Appreciation Evening where everyone gets to hear something positive about how they’re growing in their character.

*Sharing gifts of food and time with those in need – baking treats as a family to give as gifts to neighbours or encouraging our children to write postcards to those experiencing loneliness.

*Speaking kindly to each other and speaking kindly about others – kindness is the ability to speak with love, listen with patience and act with compassion.

*Cultivating a family habit of gratitude – keeping a gratitude jar that you add to regularly and refer to often.

Experiencing Love in lockdown from our meaningful relationships gives us a more robust picture of the power of love, the choice to love and our capacity to make a difference in so many ways when we embrace this incredible gift of Love!

And now, these three remain – faith, hope and love – but the greatest of these is LOVE.