when love finds us

every person moves through the journey of life interacting with, learning from, and befriending others. relationship is one characteristic humans are able to use to define our unique purposes on earth - making us special and distinct from rocks, trees and animals. we enter lives of other people each day in a variety of ways such as co-worker relationships, friendships, dating, marriage and child-bearing. it is through the deepest of these connections that love finds us.

when love finds us, we are never quite where we expected to be. love can come in many forms, many sizes, and is often defined in a variety of ways. institutions and individuals have defined love throughout the ages, all confident their definition will stand the test of time. I seek not to define love, but describe glimpses of the unexpected nature of this emotionally tangible experience humans have with others humans.

examples of love catching people off guard happen each day. some people describe their romantic love as "love at first sight" - falling into this experience called love with another person they have just met. new parents are also struck when love surges through them in a new way after they meet their child for the first time. another time love catches people off guard is when a person we love - a friend, family member or romantic partner - leaves our lives and passes on to death. nobody can prepare one hundred percent for these moments when love sweeps us up from our previous way of life.

this indescribable experience we know as love moves through the world in mysterious ways. love, in all its unpredictability, is something that each life needs in order to grow to its fullest potential. we each need relationship. with the dynamic addition of love to those special connections in our lives, we gain humility in the face of the great and wonderful mystery of life.

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