Love.... the most powerful 4 letter word...

Love... the word conjures up so many visions in one's mind that one could spend a lifetime and yet be at a loss of understanding what it truly means. And yet, poets and politicians have tried to define this in their own way for their very own selfish reasons... To me it has been a mystery simply because of the simplicity with which I have experienced love in various forms and the complexity with which it has manifested itself in different aspects of my life.. nevertheless, it is something that truly makes my world go round, the only emotion in this universe that encompasses every other....

They say the most unselfish form of love is that between a mother and a child, and while that is probably very true, it is interesting to see how with time, situations, circumstances and a whole lot of variables, there is an element of expectation that comes about, an inherent insecurity can surface and sometimes roles get reversed as parents age and the constant assurance and security they once provided, is something they are in need of.. nothing good, bad , wrong or right about it, maybe a beautiful way for the cosmos to enable us to give back a fraction of the bountiful love they have showered on us....

Then of course there is the romantic kind of love that comes with all the bells and whistles, the shy furtive glances, the blue skies, moonlit nights, favorite songs, special messages, everything that makes those 2 special people feel they are on a merry go round and the world around them is beautiful candy floss.. sweet, endearing, special. The kind of love where each person loses themselves from being "you and I" to "us" and in the process finds themselves renewed in soul and spirit. This kinda love grows like the various seasons in our lives.. springtime beauty gives way to fragrant monsoons and finally to quiet autumns where quiet companionship and silent moments replace long hot summer nights ...

Then there is the beautiful love of friendship that spans time and space and again is a treasure in itself.. a blessing that very few of us can truly claim in this lifetime.. probably a wrong choice of words there.. .. this is the kind of love that cannot be "claimed" it comes without warning and sometimes unfortunately it can leave without a backward glance.. I lost some very dear friends in my life not because they cared for me any less, but because I didn't appreciate how much ... I miss them, and learnt more about myself in the process...

But then, put all of these types of love aside and you come to an entirely different realm where love cannot be defined, measured, and sometimes even fathomed.. the kind of love that is unconditional, silent and yet gregarious, fulfilling and yet unfulfilled, understood and yet unrequited... the kind of love where time, space, distances, words .. all of them take a back seat, the kind where misunderstandings don't arise coz there there is nothing to understand.. it is as simple as day as complex as the night.. the kind of love where you can dwell on for hours or just know it is the air you breathe and not think about.. the kind of love, where taking one another for granted doesn't happen because your souls are reflections of one another... the kind of love that resonates to the rhythm of the universe as well as to that of your own heart... that is the type of love that if one is touched by even once in this lifetime, they are touched by the Divine itself..

This undefined emotion resonates in the core of one's being and it finds reflection in the lyric of a song, or the first spray of rain, or the salt breeze of the sea, or the quite fortitude of a sunset by the mountains.. it is the kind of love that sets you free and yet binds you to the cosmos in a way that is understood only by you and your maker.. the kind of emotion that makes you rise above yourself and be a better human being...

I could go on and on about this simply because it resonates very clearly in my soul but it is also the kind of love that teaches you to be silent and appreciate things like the lyrics of a popular song..
"Na Hai Yeh Pana, Na Khona Hi Hai, Tera Na Hona Jane, Kyun Hona Hi Hai" ..
simply translated it means - "love is not about losing or finding something, but knowing why your absence is the greatest validation of your presence in my life".....

"Endure till the end..." was a quote I read at a Hallmark store the other day.. seemed very profound.. then a friend explained to me how love can be enduring in one's lifetime... and suddenly that little quote made a lot more sense.....suddenly I was richer in ways I never imagined... and very very blessed...