The importance of love

Love makes the world go round.

Well, many a time I’ve been around the world, but I wouldn’t say it was love that made the trip for me. No, I think love is much more subtle.

I particularly like the definition of love as ‘a delight in the presence of another’.  Note: I said ‘presence’, not ‘presents’.

In the midst of some of my most precious relationships, I never thought of having sex with my partner, but rather, making love. And yes, it is in the intimacy of two bodies coming together — don’t take that literally — that a oneness with your loved one becomes ecstatic.

But love can be as deep and meaningful without any physical interaction. The love of a parent for a child, and vice-versa — hopefully, without vice, as we are experiencing too often.

The love of God, or whatever spiritual presence you adhere to. The love of music, food, dance, and the myriad joys that enchant our lives. Or, simply said, just the love of life, nature and the miracle of this experience.

So what is love? Perhaps it’s as simple as that which blesses our existence, and that we have, for too long, defiled. Surely, if we were to love each other, and all of this planet’s inhabitants, and adhere to the golden rule, there would be a utopia such as we have only imagined, but never experienced. Where did we go wrong?

To better understand the concept of love, let’s define the value of love. Love is the most valuable commodity in the world. We all need love just like a fish needs water. Without love, life would not be worth living. With love in our lives, we are empowered beyond belief. Without love in our lives we will shrivel up and die a slow, painful and lonely death.

Love is the very essence and core of our being. It is the energy that sustains who and what we are. Everyone in life has a deep-rooted desire to love and be loved.

And now we have the disaster of tsunami and earthquakes, which have changed not only the geography of the world, but also our perception of life itself. More than ever, we have been awakened to the fact that life itself is fragile and finite, and not a given, but a gift.

And yet, amidst the horrors of bodies and destruction, there has arisen a universal outpouring of love for our fellow man such as we have perhaps never before experienced. We are only a species, and an endangered one at that.

What a waste, to hate, envy and destroy each other when we have the option to love. Unlike any other creature on this planet, we have been given the power of choice. Must we wait for an earthquake or tidal wave to realise that?

By STEVE OSTROW