By Kenneth Stepp
Love. What an interesting and complicated word. Most today no longer understand the word. Many believe love is a feeling. Some even think it should be descriptive when talking about a favorite place or even food. I love pizza. Seriously, I do. But I wouldn’t lay my life down for a slice. I would for another person I love. Let’s unwrap this.
Love is so layered. Much like an onion, the layers go on and on. If I tell you I love you, it means more than you can imagine. I love you means that you are more important to me than I am. Think about how you love your child. It’s the same love. The dynamics are just different. You see, love is love.
Becoming single for most of us was a surprise. We were walking through life with our forever love and all of the sudden, we were alone. The path was dark and the aloneness was deep. For many of us it still is. Dating is confusing, being single leaves us without enough accountability and without a clear vision of our future. A future that not long ago was set in stone. Now it’s set in nothing.
I love you. I’ve said that to 5 women in my life over many decades. I will forever love them. If one called me tomorrow with a need, I would be there in a second. You see, for many of us, love comes with a sense of duty. That’s one of those layers I mentioned. Love is simple and complicated at the same time.
Love looks different to all of us. But if it’s real, it’s permanent. I say it all the time. Love is a life sentence. Again, if it’s real. When someone tells me they used to love someone. I don’t say it outloud, but know it wasn’t real love. I have friends who disagree with this, but we are going to stay friends anyway. I care deeply for my friends.
The journey we singles find us on has so many negatives that come with it. I read so many profiles on dating sites. I write a column for a local news media about being single for a local paper so I study such things. The amount of people who complain about people lying to them, scamming them, and basically acting badly. It speaks to what has happened to the singles of today.
I love you… These words have meaning. They mean another person has crossed the line that separated you and them individually, to meaning you guys are a thing. What that thing is will be determined by what you allow that thing to be. That thing could be amazing, it could be your future, your forever love. Or, just another near miss. I’ve lived through that one.
I love you… What do these words mean to you? Do they mean your life means less to you than someone else’s’ life? Does it mean you feel close to someone? Are they just words that feel good to say or hear? I suppose those words mean something different to everyone. To me, they aren’t cheap or said casually. For me, they are life changing. Or at least can be. I guess in the end, we all have to decide how deep the deep end of the pool is. For me, I will continue to see love through the filter I choose. In the end, we want the love we have in our heads, Be nice to one another, stay kind. And I hope I made you think just a little deeper.
