Contrary to popular belief, I am not afraid of the day when Kiddo will fall in love.
While I may not exactly be the poster girl for long term relationships, I firmly believe that My Life need not be hers and that she will be able to find her own happiness learning from the curveballs that I have dodged, swung at and have been hit by.
In preparation for the day when Kiddo asks me what love is, I have compiled a list of lessons and truths above the thing called love which hopefully will enlighten her as much as it has enlightened me.
Love doesn’t actually complete you. You can’t look for someone to complete you. Before you can truly love another, you must first be whole and love yourself.
Love actually inspires you, which is different from changing you. Love brings out the best in you and makes you want to be a better person for the other.
Love doesn’t actually have to hurt. I have to admit that this is from Oprah’s School of Thought which says that if you really love someone, you would never do anything that would harm them intentionally. Sometimes you have to know when the hurting is the harmful kind and you need to love yourself more in the name of self-preservation.
Love actually isn’t blind. It sees everything about the other and chooses to accept and love anyway.
The test of true love is actually real everyday life. It is so easy to get caught up in the highs of romance, but it is equally challenging to have to stay together through the routinary, mundane inanities of everyday life like driving to work and paying the bills.
Love someone you can not only talk endlessly with, but also enjoy a comfortable silence with. Often, more is said in silence than in pleasant conversation.
Love is actually friendship on fire. Love is often best when served with equal portions of passion and friendship.
Love endures and actually lasts with space. Space isn’t a divider, it is a breather that allows you to still be your own person. While you are part of a couple, you are also an individual.
Love is actually a passing feeling that needs to be worked on. It isn’t exactly accurate to say that love is all you need because love isn’t much without respect, trust and forgiveness.
And what I learned from being Kiddo’s mom is a lesson on simplicity. Love need not be complicated -- you can actually love someone simply because they exist. Kiddo doesn’t have to be or do something special, she will always have my love simply because she is part of My Life.
