TO LOVE AND TO BE LOVED

Foreigner's 1984 famous song I Want to Know What Love Is, asks for a question humans from all cultures have wondered about since the beginnings of their history.  Therefore, this is not the only song to wonder about love; thousands of them do, as well as poems and literature from all around the world.  

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Oct 11, 1926), brings some timely clarity to this question: "If you pour a handful of salt into a cup of water, says the Master, water becomes undrinkable. But if you pour the salt into a river, people can continue to draw the water to cook, wash, and drink. The river is immense, and it has the capacity to receive, embrace, and transform. When our hearts are small, our understanding and compassion are limited, and we suffer. We can't accept or tolerate others and their shortcomings, and we demand that they change. But when our hearts expand, these same things don't make us suffer anymore." So, how do we help our hearts to grow? "Feeding our love!" He responds. "When we feed and support our happiness, we are nourishing our ability to love. That's why to love means to learn the art of nourishing our happiness."

American poet Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892), had already given us some clues on the topic when he said  the woman he loved and respected the most was “entirely herself; as simple as nature; true, honest; beautiful as a tree is tall, leafy, rich, full, free — is a tree.”

Both, to love and to be loved, point at recognising  and honouring who we are. So now that we are clear on that, let's listen to Foreigner's song. Just don't forget to nourish your happiness and meditate every day!