Loving Others

Writing earlier this morning about knowing people you have never met, has led me to ponder this question, do we really love others?

We all have special people in our lives that we love for one reason or another. Of course we love our spouses, our children, or parents, and other family members. Some of us have close friends of whom we have learned to love as well. We may love the way they appreciate us, how they make us feel important or how they make us feel intelligent. We may love the things they do for us. There are thousands of reasons you may love others depending on who you are and what your needs may be.

Accepting all of this things are wonderful. But, do we stop to think that while we love others for all these things, in actuality, we ourselves are not loving. We are accepting their love. It is only when we return these things to the ones' who go to great lengths for us, we are giving love to them. If we fail to give the love we feel for another, the love we feel is in vain - remaining only a selfish possession that is so longed for by the ones' who give us their love so freely.