Everyday Canvas

Love and Daring

For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" 

Prompt: “Love makes us good. It doesn’t matter who we love, nor does it matter whether our love is reciprocated or not or if the relationship lasts. Just the experience of loving is enough; that’s what transforms us.”
Isabel Allende, from Maya
What are your opinions on the subject?

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As residents of our planet, we depend on one another whether we are humans, animals, or other living things. We also depend on the so-called non-living things. We need to love just about everything in order to be able to survive together.

Love is a misunderstood emotion, in itself, however. Even though its definition may change from person to person, not all fleeting warm fuzzy feelings are love. As such, any kind of affection or a feeling of lust is usually and mistakenly seen as love. Affection alone is not enough. A romantic relationship alone may not be real love. True love, in addition to affection and romance, has to include trust, caring, friendship, respect, and honesty.

We learn to love from our earlier experiences when we see how our needs are met. In fact, we learn love throughout our lives, and we also learn not all the love we give will be reciprocated. If we still continue to offer love, even when the feeling is not returned, it means we are true lovers. This is because love is only given without any expectations.

When someone says out loud, “I only love. I don’t hate. Because my religion told me so,” and she goes around doing hurtful things to others, that is called selfishness and that person is using love for her own ends. Love grows inside the person if that person nourishes it. No one, not even a religion, can mandate love.

As Isabel Allende says, “Just the experience of loving is enough; that’s what transforms us.”

For: "Space Blog" 

Prompt: From Kate - Writing & Reading ’s "Taking Flight" 
"For a moment the sky
and snow-clad earth reverse;
on wings of wind upheld
fleet skiers glide as birds."
Have you ever been snow or water skiing? Do you think you'd like to try?

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I might have tried all that if I were to be younger and in a different environment. Then, when I was in my teens and wanted to learn skiing, my mother wouldn’t allow it. I tried again when I was 24 and married. Then, my husband was worried that I’d break my neck. I didn’t want him to worry, so that was that.

I can, however, understand my loved ones’ concerns for me. Remember Sonny Bono, who hit a tree while skiing and passed away? Who says I would be any better than him?

Yet, if I were to try some of those things now, I think I’d go for hang gliding, rather than water skiing. I think it would be fun to be up in the sky like a bird.

On the other hand, my doctor would have a fit.