What is TRUE LOVE?
Have you ever wondered to yourself, “What is True Love?”. Is there really a definition? Who determines what True Love is anyway? Is there a God of True Love who stands before us and has a list of things that warrants whether or not you are truly in love? Is True Love just for your partner, or the one that you marry and take vows with? Can True Love be for anyone, a child, a friend, a parent etc.?
I realize what should be simple and wonderful can be confusing and heartbreaking. The Truth is Love can be difficult, painful and challenging at times, but it can also be brilliant, breath-taking and divine. If you are human you cannot have one without the other, but It’s OK!
Yesterday I stumbled upon a beautiful soul/priest by the name of Father Richard Rohr. Father Rohr is a Franciscan Priest and has such a phenomenal insight on the spiritual connection of True-Self, False-Self and God (what he chooses to call his higher power/source). He calls himself an ordinary man with an extraordinary gift to teach those who are ready learn. In this case he is teaching about True Love.
Father Rohr speaks of “True Love” in the following way:
True Love is the death of the false-self (this is when your job, your monetary value, whether you went to college or not, the things you own, your heritage - no longer matter)
You have to be willing to “Let Go” of who you were before you met that person
You and your partner must be willing to change in order to become a closer, combined unit which means “Yes” you are going to change.
You and your partner support one another and help eachother grow to a fuller more spiritual existence
Once you are both able to give wholly to one another then you most likely have found True Love
Believe me, I know what you are thinking. “I’m not changing for anyone, if he/she can’t love me for who I was before we met than we are not meant to be.” How many times I have heard that statement over and over. Really think about what that means though……. If no one is willing to change then how could any relationship possibly work? Or worse yet, if only one of you is making all of the changes then that relationship is in just as much, if not more jeopardy because you can clearly see and feel the imbalance.
Father Rohr speaks about the fact that human beings, in general, have a fear of “Letting Go”. Letting go of who you were before you met that person. Change. Who isn’t afraid of change? Yes, most of us are comfortable with what we already know, but just imagine the expansion of the knowing when you “Let Go” and open yourself up to truly loving another.
If you truly love someone wouldn’t you want to meet them in the middle? If you are both willing to change enough then maybe who you were can become so much more fulfilled as you evolve into who you are becoming, together, as a wonderful, beautiful, loving result.
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!
Julie Casey-Fortier