grow love

 

By Tammy T. Stone

 

Because my mind is often set to the tune of movies, whenever the word love pops into my mind, the first definition that flashes before me is from the 1970 tear-jerker-to-end-all tear-jerkers, Love Story.

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

I swoon when I hear it and appreciate the sentiment, but I’d qualify this by adding that it’s still nice to say sorry when we really mean it.

Thinking about love more seriously and deeply, my heart extends to these very troubled and unstable times we find ourselves in, when running away from love and surrendering to fear, disgust and blame feels like the easier choice to make. This is exactly why grasping the depths of love becomes more than a noble exercise on the path of spiritual evolution: it amounts to a feat of almost indescribable courage, a form of activism with the potential to lead to the revolution we badly need.

Because love is action.

Love is learning to be love so that we can give and receive love, so that love runs through us all, together. Love is connection.

Love is feeling afraid and stepping into the fear instead of ignoring it or transferring it to others, via blame.

Love is bravery.

Love is giving love when it feels most difficult. Love is generosity.

Love is not turning away from catastrophic world conditions, but accepting current realities as they are, and regarding our problems with a sharp, fair, analytical and equanimous mind.

Love is equanimity.

Love is being aware of our personal and collective problems and not giving up or giving in. Love is awareness.

Love is working with the broken pieces with hope, optimism and inspiration. Love is strength.

Love is awakening to the love that exists in everyone, no matter how much or how little of it we personally experience. Love is tolerance.

Love is acknowledging that all voices matter, but wanting to understand in a much deeper way how each and every voice matters uniquely, as individuals and collectives.

Love is diversity.

Love is not holding on too tight to what we love. Love is letting love breathe and letting people be free. Love is freedom.

Love is first learning and then maintaining the highest levels of respect for our truths, and deeply honoring the truths of others. Love is knowing.

Love is recognizing that we are the world and the world is us. Love is unity.

Love is looking at harsh and gruesome realities and asking what we can do to make it better. Love is determination.

Love is believing that nothing is permanent and that we all carry the seeds and power of transformation. Love is change.

Love is expanding our awareness of what love can be. Love is infinite.

Love is listening with your ears and with your heart. Love is empathy.

Love is throwing your arms around someone whose views you don’t understand, and saying, “Let us talk and try to understand each other.” Love is understanding.

Love is closing our eyes and feeling love in every breath we take, allowing our selves to breathe love in, breathe love out. Love is caring.

Love is not shying away from the great privileges and great responsibilities we face as members of the human race. Love is accountability.

Love is exploring the world’s problems in light of history, without ever forgetting the dignity of each and every being past, present and future. Love is remembrance.

Love is wanting with everything in us to ease the suffering of all beings. Love is service.

Love is making the world we want to live in. Love is making the world with love.

 

love

 

What is your definition of love? Let us know! Send us your submission to editor@thetattooedbuddha.com and create@rebellesociety.com. Some posts will be published on both sites.

The Tattooed Buddha is currently not accepting poetry.

 

Photo: (source)

Editor: Dana Gornall

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