We all need love to live, and without this ingredient, we wither like dried flowers. Our soul needs love, and it partly comes from the people who love us. What we don’t realize is that we are strong because of the love given to us selflessly. Out of ignorance, we believe we are stronger than we actually are, and it is only when those who loved us start to drift away that we waver and become aware of our fragility.
The love of others gives us strength
There are several forms of love. The ancient Greeks defined four: agape (divine love), storge (familial love), philia (friendly love), and eros (romantic love). We feed on these different kinds of love daily, but generally, there is one that surpasses the others. If we have not received much familial love, we tend to seek love from friends or God, for example. Conversely, if our family has given us a lot of love, we are less inclined to seek it elsewhere. What makes us fragile is the lack of love, the love we cannot find, no matter what form it takes. Our soul needs it, at the risk of falling into depression and letting ourselves die.
Self-love is still love
When we can’t find love from others, we always have the possibility to cultivate self-love, which, if genuine, is actually another form of divine love (agape). Without agape, self-love turns into sheer narcissism, and it’s a disease that isn’t true love. Divine love is accessible to everyone, but it requires recognizing the existence of God and wanting to put in the effort to keep that flame alive.
The love we have for others gives us courage
If you haven’t received love from your loved ones, you can always give before receiving. That’s called courage. The love we feel for others is the main source of courage, the word itself coming from the word “heart”.
Don’t let down those who love you
The greatest regrets or remorse we experience in life are often related to the neglect of the people who loved us. Our selfishness blinds us and makes us miss what’s essential. This essential usually takes the form of people who care about us and whose impact on our life we do not measure. The people who love us are like flowers that need to be cared for; they also need love and respect. It’s not always possible to love them as much as they love us, but as much as possible, we must return as much love and consideration as we can, which are the marks of our esteem and the recognition that these people are important to us and will allow this love to endure.
