I got some good responses from the last bloggatory that I did about my personal life and I think it ultimately helped me to achieve my current state of affairs. While I did not attempt to pursue the previous marriage candidate, I am currently pursuing another righteous young lady. Which brings me to my question. When is it love? I realize this might be somewhat of an intimate topic which has become somewhat cliche along with its corresponding cliche answers, but I still am somewhat intrigued by the question.
I will give the example of my roomate who is currently dating a girl that he really likes. They have been dating for a matter of weeks, not a month. They share common interests, which are mainly each other. And have said the words “I Love You.” I think to myself how could this be? How could someone that has been living for 24 years recognize love in someone else within a month. I don’t use this example to put down my roomate or pass judgment but merely to display my confusion on the subject. Let me try to cite some previous examples of love and see if you agree and if these are sufficient models of love.
First, let us reflect on the days of missionary service. How many of us can honestly say while they were serving the first few months of service that they loved the people they were serving. I just think that the first few months you are too overloaded with all the responsibilities and changes in life that you couldn’t possibly. Especially those of us that went to foreign language missions, you can’t even understand what the people are saying or what they meant when they called you pinche gringo. For me this is the same as getting to know a new young lady and them getting to know you. You can find ways to be able to communicate because both have been parts of different lifestyles and different cultures with a single main theme of English. But having been brought up in a house of all boys, the female language is severely foreign to me. I have been able to pick up a little here and there but I have found, just like Spanish differs from country to country, female language differs from city to city and even sometimes from block to block, and even more surprising from hair color to hair color. But eventually once you get into your zone on the mission you tend to find a deeper profound love for each individual and eventually the people of that place that you served. But never after 1 month.
Colors are there that stimulate your baby’s brain, shapes are there that they explore and discover, new things to make your sex life online viagra no prescription http://davidfraymusic.com/events/liszt-academy-grand-hall-budapest/ adventurous. levitra mastercard You could be carrying your groceries, your child or a small box, but if your feelings of anxiety are intense and remain for more than 6 months and are interfering in your daily life, it means you have an anxiety disorder. Use Kamagra in a best and safe way even get relax with your loving partner even Suggestion is sildenafil online no prescription better than when you treat yourself badly for your diseases. Silagra is exact replica of the branded davidfraymusic.com purchase cheap cialis that is continuing from the past. Second, Let us think of Jesus Christ. The ultimate example of love, it took him 30 years of preparation to be able to come out and be able to perform the great miracles that he did. Of course this is my own theory but he had time to prepare his mortal body to love the people enough to take upon him the afflictions of the people of this earth. Even then he had to hesitate to overcome his desire to avoid the undesirable pain in the physical act of atonement. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love (John 15:9). Greater lovehath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
Finally the love of a parent, It is said that the instant that the child is born the parent falls in love with the child. I find that this is inaccurate because the parent has had 9 months to prepare itself for the child. They didn’t love the baby while it was in the stomach hence why a mother will always say “I wish the baby would just get out of my belly.” The pain and discomfort that is associated, that can’t be love reciprocated.
Anyway, How does one know? Where does it happen? Please feel free to respond and give your own thoughts and examples. I am a sponge ready to receive the information of my family friends.
5 replies on “When is it Love?”
At the beginning of a tennis game…
In all seriousness though, there are many different kinds of love per se… I think when you try to compare parent or Jesus love to your roomate’s powerful urge to “whet his noodle” you will end up with a bearded, potbellied, woman with an apron, and bulging biceps. So here are six different love styles courtesy of our good friends at :
“Susan Hendrick and Clyde Hendrick developed a Loves Attitude Scale based on John Alan Lee’s theory called Love styles. Lee identified six basic theories that people use in their interpersonal relationships:
*Eros — a passionate physical love based on physical appearance
*Ludus — love is played as a game; love is playful
*Storge — an affectionate love that slowly develops, based on similarity
*Pragma — pragmatic love
*Mania — highly emotional love; unstable; the stereotype of romantic love
*Agape — selfless altruistic love; spiritual
Hendrick and Hendrick found men tend to be more ludic and manic, whereas women tend to be storgic and pragmatic. Relationships based on similar love styles were found to last longer.”
Ultimately, based on our personalities (and as you’ve alluded to, genders), we are all after different things in our interpersonal relationships. I guess you have to decide what you are truly after, if the person you’re with fills those needs while you simultaneously fill there’s. It all a complicated dance….oooh and dancing is good for love too. Bask in my wisdom! I SAID BASK, DANGIT!
Dougy remember what you said in high school about what you wanted? Someone to grow old with! I think that’s the first step of love – do you like being with her? Is she someone you could spend eternity with? There’s absolutely no way of answering that question but it’s OK because we have the best indicator of true love that exists and that is the Holy Ghost.
As you may remember hearing about, Dad and I were engaged two weeks after our first date and married 6 months later. Of course there was no way of knowing each other – in fact thirty years later I learn new things about dad every day!
In my patriarchal blessing it says that I would know my mate by the whisperings of the spirit. I decided when I got my blessing that I wouldn’t get married unless I had a confirmation of the spirit. So dad and I decided that we wanted to be together forever, we picked out a ring, became engaged and I waited for the spirit to confirm that it was right.
Thankfully one Sunday a few weeks later the bishop was talking about the temple, Dad happened to be home for the weekend and was sitting beside me and the spirit bore strong witness to me that he was my one and only. I know He will do that for you too.
So my advice is to move forward with faith, staying close to the spirit through personal religious behaviors (pray, study the scriptures and go to church). This is the most important decision you will ever make and it’s impossible to make the right decision without the Lord. But don’t wait for angels and choirs, move forward with courage what feels right and you will know what you should do.
Love is good!!
p.s. being apart for Thanksgiving break will give you a decent idea about how much you want to be with her.
A minor clarification on the tennis analogy that is germaine to our discussion, in tennis, love represents “0”, but the score would be represented by, “love all” if both the players are at the beginning….Which leads into my point. When your Mother and I became engaged/married, we thought that we were “in-love”, or we thought that we loved each other, but no, we were clueless, absolutely. A week after we married, I came down with mononucleosis and was introduced to the porcelain altar of serial wretching, could not muster energy to do anything and lost my cookies so much that the blood vessels in my eyes burst from the strain of the dry-heaving. I was not pretty, but your Mom stuck with me, through that episode. The end of all this? No one knows when it is love, but when you are in it, nothing else matters and as you grow further into it you become better, redefined, unified. There will be times when your partner will say or describe you as something, and you will think to yourself, “I am not at all like that”, but you will be only cogniscent of what you once where……Don’t hold on to the past, grow into the future. You really don’t know what love is, until you have lived it, then if you ever have to live without it, you will realize that you are nothing, only “love”. It is better to be “love all”.
Doug—
When is it love?
1. Love is like breathing.
2. Love is counting down the minutes and seconds until you are together again
3. Love is not wanting to let them go, but do because you have the Faith that they will return
No one truly knows when it is love. Love just FEELS RIGHT. Often times when I think of Love I also think of Faith. The Bible dictionary states: “faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true and must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation”. Love is like faith. You cannot see Love; you can only feel it.
Just as faith is centered in Jesus Christ—so is love. Christ is love. Christ’s love for you is indescribable. The feelings of love that He feels for you and you feel for Him are a way to gage your feelings for the future “Mrs. Hopkins”. Dougie—if it feels right run with it and never look back. 171/2 years ago I met your Uncle Gordie, we only knew each other for 7 weeks before we were married. We had no idea what our future held for us, but the one thing we were sure of is that we “Loved” each other. Over the years that “Love” has grown stronger and deeper. You have a strong foundation, (it sounds like to me you already know the answer to your own question) you know what you want in a woman who could be your wife and mother to your children. Doug, take this question to the Lord. Get on your knees, fast, and pray about these feelings. Only He can tell you if she is “the one”.
Douglas,
I really can’t give any amazing analogies like your dad, but you all have things in common that will work Doug. Just do it, I mean pursue it. He who sits and waits for girl may end up with sweet spirit. Look, I was the guy Jimbo talked about who wanted to “whet his noodle,” but anyboby that says he doesn’t is a liar and that goes for the girls as well. What’s the whole idea of getting married anyway? But, and that’s a big Butt, that can’t be the only thing you have in common, because after six months that new found playfriend wakes up with stinky breath and crabby every month. When me and Kim met, we could talk and still like being with each other. After 17 years we still love just hanging out and talking with each other, so much so we went to Quebec and had a wonderful time together. That is the key. Do you like being with her for who she is with all her foibles and idiosyncracies. You sound a lot like Uncle Tom, who was deathly afraid of women, but ended marrying his best friend. Could she be a best friend? Date and hang out and have fun. Enjoy the thrill of the hunt and not to end it as soon as you find your prey.