Why do we always put conditions on love? Why do our minds want so much for us to make sure that certian things are in place or a certain time has passed before it allows us to recognize the burning inside is love? When our children are born, we don't ponder on what may or should happen before we allow ourselves to love them; it comes immediately, intensely and truly. We never question it. Why then do we question every time a good feeling arises in us, taking it apart, looking at it from every possible angle, picking it to pieces until we have convinced ourselves that we never felt it in the first place? Love at first sight has become a thing of myth in this new, "intellectual" world. We weigh it, judge it and if it doesn't conform to our mental template of what love is "supposed" to be, we walk away, smothering the protests that come from the very seat of love, the soul. As an extreme example, how many of us would help a stranger who was in mortal danger if we could? Would we do the same for someone we loved who had hurt us? Our minds have taken control of our life force, our souls, and we are slowly killing the humanity we were born with. Many claim "love hurts", but that is patently untrue. Love is beautiful; our ideas of what love "should" be twist it until all we know is either the loss of love or the fear of the loss of love. Love is a pure emotion, meant to be experienced, not thought about, debated or verified. Love simply is. Do not let your life go by, wondering, wishing and regretting. Love will be, no matter if you allow it or not. Our lives become so much easier when we stop fighting ourselves and let our true light live. Love will carry the day, especially when we can no longer.

I see you have your priorities straight..love and bacon ;-)

Good question. My input is this-- culture. Culture largely shapes our current and future expectations, particularly with relationships. It helps us define and understand what love is. For example, we learn how to value and measure love (physical, emotional, financial, etc.). Many professionals agree on the "Five Love Languages." In this culture love is heavily defined by the media, such as magazines, tv shows, and movies. I am a non-conformist by nature so I have my own standards for love, which I think we all should have; rather than letting others tell us what love is. Love does not hurt. What hurts is when love ceases to exist. Love is one of the best things one can experience. I'm not sure if helping a stranger in need is the same concept as love. We have compassion for those in need. Some of us aren't selfless, some are too scared to help others or don't know how. Love is confusing. Why? Because there is no true universal definition of love. Everyone describes it differently; again, cultural, which also explains how some of us learn to put conditions on love, even if love shouldn't be conditional. It's what we learn. Our first educator is our family. That's where we learn what love is, or should be. great post!