The Eyes of the Heart
Love is more than a mere four-letter syllable whispered into the wind; it is a lens, a luminous way of perceiving a world that often feels unworthy of such grace. It stands as the pinnacle of our existence. We find ourselves tethered to people, bound by threads we didn't weave ourselves.
Let us set aside the talk of flaws and scars. Instead, let us speak of the essence of the "what" and the "how." From that very first infant cry to the tears we shed today, life is a relentless journey of becoming strong, of growing through the thorns. To me, love is the eyes of the heart. It isn't a scheduled appointment or a clinical process; it is a sudden, breathtaking arrival. You do not plan it; you simply look up and find yourself standing in the middle of it, breathless and surprised.
The Golden Hour of the Soul
When true love takes hold, the world sheds its gray skin and mirrors the heavens. It is as if you are living in a perpetual golden hour, where every shadow is soft and every light is warm. You find yourself smiling at nothing, laughing at the air, blushing at the mere echo of a name in your mind. There is a profound cuteness in those quiet, private moments of joy.
We often wander through the thickets of attraction and lust, but I've come to believe they are distinct from the soul's true work. While attraction may be the prologue—that sudden moment where your heart halts for a mere second, as if the Divine is whispering, "Here, you have found them"—it is only the beginning.
The Gift of Everything
As Katharine Hepburn so elegantly put it:
"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get only with what you are expecting to give which is everything."
She was right. To love is to abandon the ledger of expectations. If you are tallying up the time they owe you, or the price of the gifts they bring, you are not in love; you are in a transaction. Love is the act of pouring yourself out without checking the cup. If you find yourself needing to demand their happiness or their devotion, then it isn't the love we speak of. True love acts before the request is even formed; they do what delights your soul without you uttering a single word.
On Trust and the Sanctuary of Self
Love is the ultimate trust a state where you trust another more than you trust your own pulse. In that sacred space, ego and pride have no room to breathe.
Now, one might argue that self-respect is more vital than love. In a way, it is but here is the secret: in the presence of true love, self-respect is never a casualty. You don't have to defend your dignity against someone who cherishes your soul. They will never ask you to sacrifice your worth; they will never force you to shield yourself with ego. When you find the person who holds your respect as dearly as their own, you haven't just found a partner.
You have found your soul.
To step into love is to step out of the armor we have spent a lifetime building. We often mistake ego for a shield, thinking it protects our heart from the cold, but in reality, it only keeps the warmth from reaching us. In the sanctuary of a true bond, that armor becomes weightless. You realize that you don't need to be "right," you don't need to be "first," and you certainly don't need to be "superior." You only need to be present.
The world will tell you that losing your ego is a weakness, that you are making yourself vulnerable to pain. But isn't that the bravest thing a human can do?
To look at another soul and say,
"I trust you with the parts of me I haven't even forgiven yet."
This is where the magic lives. When two people decide that the "Us" is more sacred than the "I," the friction of life begins to smooth out. The arguments that used to burn like wildfire become mere flickers, extinguished by a single touch or a soft look, because you are no longer fighting for poweryou are fighting for peace.
The beauty of this journey is that it transforms your very nature. You begin to see that your self-respect isn't a wall to keep people out, but a garden that your partner helps you tend. They become the mirror that reflects your best self back to you, even on the days when you feel broken. They don't just love you for your strength; they love the cracks where the light gets in.
So, if you find yourself in this "heaven on earth," hold it with open palms. Don't squeeze it, don't demand it stays the same, and never stop giving. For in the end, we are not remembered by how much we were loved, but by how much we were willing to lose ourselves in the beautiful, selfless act of loving another.