Beyond

Love. It is one of the most overused, misinterpreted, abused, and manipulated words in the english language. Yet somehow, love, in its true form, is not seen nor felt enough. Simply put, love is defined as "An intense feeling of deep affection." But, true, raw, genuine love extends far beyond the confines of words or definitions. This love is not just a feeling, it is a state of being. It consumes you entirely. This love is something so cosmic, so different, so unbelievably real, that the word Love, itself, hardly does it any justice. So many times people will toss around the word love, treating it as a given, as something that will always be at their disposal. They act as if simple physical attraction and a successful first date warrants an "I love you." They act as if the mere fact that they are related by blood means love is assumed, provided, expected. They have the word right, but they've got the feeling very, very wrong. I never understood this. I never understood why people hand out their love as if it were something to just give away. I wonder, do these people ever truly love? Do they ever truly feel what it is to feel with every single atom in your body, with every fiber of your being, with every breath of your soul? I don't think they do. They are missing the most vital part of life,; the very core of existence. Love, and be loved. Love is the most powerful force. It has the power to heal, to create, to inspire. And yet, it has the power to hurt, to destroy, and to discourage. Love is not just something within you, it reaches out beyond you. It drives down into your very roots, up through your core, and shoots out through your branches into the very atmosphere that surrounds you.  Love will infuse into everything you do, everything you say, everything you feel. It is infectious, it is consuming, and it is undeniable. But most importantly, love is real. Love is more real than the ground beneath your feet or the sky above your head. Love is your true existence. And yet so many people avoid love. They are too afraid. Too afraid to let go, to give themselves  completely to this sensation. They are too afraid to live beyond their scripted lives. Too afraid of the unknown, of the intangible, the unimaginable, the uncharted. They chose to continue on with the motions of their factory-made existence, and they avoid love altogether. They may use the word, many times in fact. But they will never understand the meaning behind the word; the universe of emotion that comes with the utter devotion that is love. I'm not talking about just romantic love, this is not limited to lovers. I am talking about the true, indescribable respect and adoration for someone. The bond between two beings that not even death could sever. The connection between two souls that extends beyond the physical being. Stop being afraid. Stop wondering what people will think, what they'll say. Stop putting your life on hold because you do not want to upset the flow of the satisfactory life you lead. Don't settle for satisfactory. Don't settle for anything, not yet. You have yet to scratch the surface, you have yet to dive beyond the shallows. Let yourself go. Let yourself love. Only then will you begin to live, to feel, to be.