Some things are obvious in life. People will argue over politics. The government will want their taxes. Death is immanent. Ice cream in the summer.

Love is pervading. For those who have loved and loved deeply we cannot image this world without it. But what does it look like? If we know it when we see it, then do we know what to do in order to express it? Do the same expressions work in all situations?

When we see love in action, we tell ourselves a story. We see the actors in the narrative and project emotions within them. We “see” a feeling and we blind ourselves to the struggle within them up to this point. 

Love isn’t easy. It always costs something. Love makes us vulnerable. If I express my love for you, I risk rejection. I cross a boundary I can’t return from. If I don’t express my love for you, I risk losing my connection with you. I risk creating a chasm over the boundary that makes any future express of love harder to manifest.

Boundaries are important. They give us structure and order. They give us a sense of safety. But boundaries are imagined and they can and should be re-imagined when we think about what love looks like.

Love makes us vulnerable but love also makes us strong. Love stretches us across boundaries and chasms and it moves us. It moves us to new understandings, new possibilities, and new transformations that make the world better.

Keep defining what love looks like by what you do. It’s risky but its worth it.

Until Everyone Hears,