Love. That four letter word that we spend most of our teen years swooning over and playing with that fantasied idea that one day someone will say it to us.
The word love takes on so many different form and meanings throughout life. When we are children we love our parents, we love our favourite doll and favourite food. Love to a child is a taught concept and if fostered correctly can be a beautiful foundation to build kindness and morality on.
When we enter tween years it takes on a jovial form. your friends tease you and ask you if you luuuurve that boy and when we graduate to our later teen years we might even experience for the first time something other than the platonic form of love.
As we grow and go through life and enter the stage where we find a love with someone that eventuates into having a child, I think this is when we wholly encompass what true love is.
Now don't get me wrong... I truly and whole heartedly believe in love between partners as true love. I myself am so in love with my baby daddy it's not funny. Every part of me loves and is ridiculously in love with every part of him. But the love we have for our significant other is a love we consciously choose. Love is hard work but if you put the effort in, it is so so truly worth it.
This is where I come to what I say 'true' love. The love for a child isn't a choice. It comes from this fire within. You look at them and can barely comprehend that you MADE this little human. I think the love you feel for and experience when you have a child opens your eyes and awakens your very being to the whole scope of love. You see you can love your partner, you can love your dog, hell you can love the guy that makes you your morning elixir of coffee but the love you feel when you have a child intensifies everything.
You find a depth to love you never knew existed. Loving my child has enabled me to find a deeper love for my partner. It opens you up, makes you vulnerable. Vulnerability is such an important aspect of love. To feel love, you need to be vulnerable. And I don't think it is possible to be more vulnerable than when you have a child. You see, to have something that is physically part of you come into the world lays you completely bare!
The saying there is nothing stronger than a mother's love could not be more true! It's crippling in the most wonderful, beautiful way!
Big love. The kind of love that doesn't waiver day to day, doesn't falter when you're annoyed. Regardless of that they do, we will always love our children. It's something we can't not do. Big Love. If you experience it, you are truly blessed.
xx
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