This morning, I read an incredible quote that resonates deeply with the way I feel. The quote is attributed to a man named Charles Akes. You have probably never heard of him, and you will will most likely never hear of him again. That is what makes his quote so awesome. He said,
I'm just a common man with common thoughts, and I feel I've lived a pretty common life; there will never be any monuments dedicated to me, and undoubtedly my name will soon be forgotten; but I've loved another, with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.
What Makes Love Real?
When we are young and in love, we find it hard to get the object of our love out of our mind. I used the word object on purpose, because young love is often an obsessive form of love. We want the person so badly that we are willing to do anything. That attraction can only be sustained for so long. Sooner or later, we discover that we are in love with a real person, not a perfect person.
It can be challenging to sustain the feeling of being "in-love", when the blinders that cover us during the "falling-in-love" experience come off, . So what makes it real?
I think the answer is found in Mr. Akes' quote. It is our commitment to another that makes our love real. Yes, the fires of love are stoked by frequent acts of selfless service. The power to love can only be maintained by honoring and keeping the commitments we make with each other. True love, the kind that lasts forever, is only sustained by our willingness to love that person with all of our heart and soul.
Who Do You Love? How Do They Know?
I invite you to think about the people you love today. How to do they know you love them? I hope your answer is not, "because I told them." It is not enough to tell them. You must show them by your actions. Love is a verb and it requires you to act.
What are you doing to demonstrate your love?
Is there a need or a request, that was recently made by a loved one, that remains undone? When do you plan to do it?
At this time of year, many of us are thinking about the great gifts that we want to give our loved ones. Please consider giving something of greater value than what you can buy at the store. Think about giving the gift of yourself. I dare you to give your time and your energy in ways in which you have never given it before. I promise you, that you will feel better about that gift than any of the others found under your tree this year.
Live Today! Love Today!
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