Do you know what love is?

I was recently challenged with a statement made to me stating I don’t know what love is. This hurt me which I believe was the point but it’s also inspired me, allow me to explain.

I believe that love is something different to everyone. Kind of like happiness, what makes one person happy doesn’t make everyone happy.

I have been in love since 1990. We married in 1992. In 1995 we started our family, it grew in 1996, ’99 and 2001. We’ve never lost sight of us, who we are is better together than apart. Our love grew even stronger through some pretty tough times; being poorer than church mice, the almost drowning of our youngest and a move we never thought we’d make. Love is like that, it can get you through anything. I truly believe that.

Recently my love had a bought of treatments to hopefully cure some precancerous cells on his face. I know what love is. Love is wanting to take that pain from him. Love is knowing you’ll be lost if something happened to him. Love is supporting him and finding any kind of distraction.  Love is us.

Life lessons on love started when I didn’t receive much, when it was conditional and given more to those around me. Those lessons taught me to keep my guard up, to grow independent and wary to trust. Those tender years of being used and abused led me to withdraw into myself. I spent a lot of time reading and writing. I’d read love stories and books with faith-based characters. I’d read stories that were similar to my own life, ones with alcoholic parents and cinderella type stories, you see I’m a romantic at heart, even then. But being me and all that I’d experienced I knew I was safer with my head in a book. God had other plans for me. As many of you know my first job was in a restaurant washing dishes and it’s at this restaurant that I met my forever love. I was more crazy about him in the beginning but not so much as to throw away all that life had taught me. I was cautious, he was patient. I was reluctant, stubborn and made him prove to me that he loved me the way I always dreamed of. He is kind, he is humble, he is a dreamer. He is a good listener, a great father and he is a  Papa to four beautiful grands.

Love.

To me love is his morning phone call that always makes me smile. He starts with “Good Morning Beautiful” to which I say “Nope, not beautiful.” Love is trust and good communication. Love is looking forward to seeing each other, to sharing your dreams and being supportive. Love is compromise. To me love and forgiveness go hand in hand. When love is involved forgiveness comes easier.

I know what love is to me, what’s it to you?