legacy

You may tire of my musings on love, but I shall still write. I am no expert, and I won't pretend to be. I am learning something about love, and I want to share some truths I have found. My idea of love has been challenged the last few months. If our love if sincere, isn't that a start?
Love is beautiful, but it is not a feeling or solely a sensation. I've always had this uneasiness with the term " to fall in love", and then people "fall out of love? I don't get it. Of course being in love can be beautiful and feel sensational, but I think it's a small piece of something greater; the sacredness, beauty, and commitment of true love. The highest expression of this is the sacred union of marriage. What greater example did Christ leave, than his unconditional love for the church. How absurd that our culture has ingrained this fleeting love as truth to what love is into our society, our minds. I have seen this manifested in different ways in different cultures as well. The truth is love is a choice; and it can be painful, complicated, messy actually. It goes beyond our ideals. Sincere love endures. It endures much, it always hopes, always perseveres; love never fails. If we do not truly know a sincere love from firstly our creator, and others, how can we love without this example? It is selfless, unconditional.

Both sets of my grandparents have been married for over 60 years. 60 years, I can hardly fathom this! For me to see their love still shine in their old age tugs at my heart. Life has not always been easy for them, many trials have come, and they are not perfect, but their commitment and love to each other have endured. It was living out their commitment to each other everyday. Their example and legacy they will leave when they are gone will always be an inspiration to me.

I want to leave a legacy here on this earth. I want my inner beauty to shine. The love, joy and peace of Jesus to cascade from within my soul tainting everything in site, for the glory of something greater than this earth. I want to love, not with a love that fades and withers like a flower when the cold strikes, but with faithfulness and intimacy. Maybe someday I will have the chance to receive this kind of love from another, and to love freely and give of myself in return. I want to love, to share the joys and pain of life, and grow old and gray with another. I want us to shuffle down the street holding hands, noticing birds together in our eighties.

I love you. Simply for who you are. You are a beautiful person and an inspiration. This life is fleeting, don't be naive. I tell myself this often. Today I chose to love with sincerity, and gentleness; expecting nothing of gain. Anything less would be conditional. And selfish.