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Rollercoaster Ride of Love

Today is Love Thursday over at Shutter Sisters. Every week they invite their members to participate in this weekly declaration and visual representation of the love we find in our lives and in the world around us. Pictures of children, husbands, pets, art, and even nature have a way of turning up in these weekly collaborations.

I don't know what picture to post this week because love is more than holding hands. It's more than a hug or a kiss. Even an eloquent glance does not encapsulate all there is to the complexity of love. You see, without love, there would be no heartache.

Love has has teeth and nails. It can leave you bruised or even bleeding. For without love, feelings of hurt and betrayal would lack the power to cripple us. If we didn't care so damn much about that other person, we wouldn't feel so miserable when they do or say something careless or hurtful.

The love we feel for other people gives them incredible power of us, over our emotional and mental states. Considering this, you would think we'd all be more careful with those we cannot imagine living without. You would think we'd soften our tone, bite back the cutting remarks, and weigh our actions more carefully. Yet, the truth is we often lash out at those we care most about becuase we unconsciously count on their forgiveness and understanding. We count on their love being strong enough to withstand the ugliness within us.

The miracle is that most of the time, it is. But how often do we risk pushing past that line and beyond the heart's capacity for forgiveness? How much damage do we do in those careless moments to those we've vowed to protect from all harm?

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