When I think of love, I think of sunshine and laughter and a warm summer day. I’m reminded of purity and the joy of being connected to my beloved. Love covers a wide range of positive and strong emotions, from total purity to the simplest joy, the greatest form of connection. When I speak of love I am not talking about the physical act of love which often involves the exchange of roses, jewelry, lingerie or friendship. I am speaking of the emotional love that exists within all relationships whether they are platonic or romantic.
The concept of love has changed throughout history but the idea of love as an emotion was lost somewhere along the way, probably around the 4th century BC when Pliny the Elder described falling in love with a lady as “attachment”. He may have been referring to Christians then or to pagan practices where gods and goddesses were thought to fall in love. Some scholars argue that Pliny’s description of falling in love with a woman is not only problematic but also shows an image of immorality. However, if we look closely at what he is saying in this letter, it seems clear that he is praising the act of love itself and not the feelings of love that Christians would find below the surface of the Eucharistic celebration.
There are various different types of love, but broadly they all involve two people coming together in an affectionate act of devotion that transcends the normal realm of romantic love into a more intense form of emotional bonding. These forms of love are not just physical relationships that last only for a short time. True love is an enduring devotion that transcends time and differs from person to person. To a person who is in love his or her affection for another person can be akin to a kind of spiritual connection.
This can manifest itself in many ways but perhaps the most common manifestation of true affection is a deep friendship. In the early days of English literature, Edmund Spenser included several poems about lovers. In The Faerie Queene, one poem makes reference to a lady who loved a young man very much because of the kindness and happiness that he had shown her. In his other works, he illustrated the ways in which true love can be cultivated, especially in regard to an individual’s attitude towards another person and his or her family. In one such work, Sir Launcelot is described as having a beautiful and tender girl with whom he spent many years.
Not all people develop deep affection. Those who do often find it difficult to accept the love that another person has for them. A person may show genuine affection towards another person but be unable to put it into action due to various social, economic, or psychological factors. These people often develop resentment because they feel that their love is not reciprocated. Others, on the other hand, are able to accept the love of another person and are able to make love their own.
No matter what is the reason behind the love affair, either for personal satisfaction or for the fulfillment of a deeper emotion, people who develop such affection must work at it and not expect it to happen overnight. Love, like every other kind of emotion, cannot be developed in a day or two. Love will only come out of a person’s deepest feelings for another person. When these feelings have finally manifested themselves, then love is possible.