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Three Little Words

Essay on the Concept of Love

By Bridget BarnesPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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With or without love in our lives we are impacted by it and how it changes us as we grow into complex human beings. Love is a broad topic that has no real definition. It is ever changing; however, it has always been able to impact people’s lives—those who have experienced it in their own lives and those who aren’t as fortunate. Either way love has been able to affect who they have become as adults. If one who has never had love in their life was finally shown it, it could change who they become in the future. Love is something that we spend our whole lives trying to find and yet most of us don’t even know what it is that we are looking for. What really is love? That is a question that has many answers. Love is a remarkable feeling that you can’t put into worlds. It is a feeling that is different for all who are lucky enough to find it in their lives. This just shows the power behind this four letter word that we all take for granted.

Poetry is able to take a concept and breathe new life into it in such a short space. Most poetry has been used as a form of romance, a way to share your devoting love for your significant other. Love Poem by John Frederick Nims, 1947, puts that idea on its head by showing the true romance in reality. “Except all ill-at-ease fidgeting people: / The refugee uncertain at the door / You make at home; deftly you steady/ The drunk clambering on his undulant floor (5-8).” This is my favorite quote from the poem because it shows that regardless of their misfortunes his lover shows these people kindness, when most would turn their backs on them. This type of selflessness is a form of love, one that is not so easy for most to express: being able to look past people’s flaws and see goodness within them. When being shown that kind of love it can change something inside you and make you a better person.

It can be very hard for someone to know for sure if what they are feeling is really love. According to Adrian Catron’s article titled "What is Love? A Philosophy of Life," there are an abundance of different ways to know what kind love it is that you are feeling. Catron states in his article, “If you use words wisely, you can learn to recognize what kind of love you are feeling, and enjoy the different kinds of love.” Love is not caged in by being only one feeling for one person. The love you feel for your mother is different than the love you feel for your wife or husband. Love is also something that you practice, as is kindness. You can practice love for the rest of your days and in doing so you are making the world a little less cruel. With that, there can be less battle wounds for people to cover up.

This world of ours enjoys making it seem like everything is in black and white. There is good and bad, love and hate, and no in between. However, this is not true because in reality there are grey areas. There is not one way to be or one way to feel. We make mistakes and we are all different, no matter how hard society tries to make us alike. No two loves are alike and no two hearts beat the same. Dagoberto Gilb's short story "Shout" (2001) shows the dysfunctional side of love when a marriage is put through the test of everyday life. Gilb writes, “He thought he should hold on to this as long as he could, until he heard the pitch of the freeway climb, telling him that dawn was near and it was almost time to go back to work (283).” Life is imperfect as is love, and this quote shows just that. Through all the troubles we still want to hold on to it for love is the reason we rise every day.

To love and be loved in return is the greatest gift of all. We are connecting with another human and allowing ourselves to be connected with them. Though this may be what we spend our whole lives yearning for, this is not so easily done for some. This world we live in is cruel and gets worse every day. It can take a toll on our fragile hearts and leaves battle wounds. These wounds need protection and care in order to heal or it will fester. If it heals, you can move on but if it doesn’t, it can leave a scar on your heart. These wounds affect how we look at love and if we will ever be able to let love in when it comes our way.

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About the Creator

Bridget Barnes

Hi, my name is Bridget Barnes. Hoping this is a stepping stone to making my passion for writing a career.Feel free to leave a tip if you enjoy the story as much I enjoyed writing.

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