How do we Know the Face of Love

'Love is the irresistible desire to be loved irresistibly.' Louis Ginsberg

How do we know the face of Love?

This is a question that I know the answer to in my heart, to the very core of me -- and yet ... ?

We humans are such splendid creatures -- we know when there is a situation that is dire to our circumstance such as freezing cold or scalding heat; we know when we are tired, or when we feel well rested, but this simple yet obviously complex question of the state of our heart, soul, and mind ... simply baffles us.

We know we love many elements of our life -- music, art, film, food ... we know that honey is a lovely sensation on our tongues and satisfies our craving for sweetness (not quite as well as chocolate perhaps, but I'm sure you get the gist of the statement); we know that a good book can satisfy our imagination and bring about all sorts of grand and billowing pictures in our minds if it is well written, and that music can blend our heart and soul into light and mystery and forever bring to mind the wonder of a moment. But what is this elusive state of love in the context of how we mean it in reference -- and reverence -- toward those we care deeply for, those individuals who make our hearts soar as if on gossamer wings?

As a young man I "fell in love" constantly ... Whenever a wondrous creature of light and flesh turned my head, every time a beautiful eye would blink just so, or a breeze would ruffle a skirt, I would be off in a heated search for the wonder of this incredible new Love.

Now we all know that this is the contrivance of an immature mind lusting after every opportunity that arises ... and we all do this; it's part and parcel of the human condition, and since we are these tempestuous and amazing creatures, it is also part of our growth as human beings ... Thank goodness we grow out of this; the hormonal rush would be just to much for this aging soul (LOL).

As we grow into ourselves, becoming comfortable within our own skin and emerging as mature adults, I believe we are more able to deal with the reality of what love is, with the comfortable and the uncomfortable aspects of this heightened state of awareness.

I know that Jaliya is the person on this Earth that I most love; she smells right to me, feels right, and sounds like the other part of my soul when she speaks. When she says "Baby ... ", it causes a melt in my heart that will allow her to continue with "... will you take out the trash?" or whatever she has around that calls for my attention, and I have never had that feeling with another being (thought it doesn't preclude the fact that I may not want to take out the trash, just that it tends to make it all right). We know that animals choose us -- we become their "chosen human" -- and I think that Jaliya and I are one another's chosen mates and that feels wonderful.

So to answer the original question, "How do we know the face of Love", we know because the person that we love most dearly is an extension of all the good we would like to see in ourselves, and is the person we just can't imagine waking up each morning without, as if that would be a pain that could never heal. I know that this in particular is the thing that tugs at me most right now because for much of the week Jaliya and I are apart, and I don't feel I work well without her here, but I do, and I continue through my week waiting for the weekend when she is home, and then I feel complete and peaceful.

I would love to take the two little ones in the photo I chose to start this article, and tell them one thing that is true: It gets so much better ... so much better.

Thank you all, and blessings on you and yours ... Have a great day.