Love

I saw this image on one of my favorite facebook pages (http://www.facebook.com/MyExceptionalLiving) and I started thinking....What holds us back from the expression of love when it's human nature to possess? What is the reason so many people guard against the one thing we all long for? Fear is the common denominator I hear in conversation. Excuses not to love, be loved or express love sound like a symphony of angst, a cacophony of trepidation: "I'll never let anyone in again", "I'll never forgive her", "I'm not going to be hurt again in this lifetime", "If I say it and he doesn't say it back I'll be embarrassed", "What if I say it and they break my heart later"? No doubt these are rational thoughts. Haven't we all had them from time to time? But to live in them? To what end? Loneliness, bitterness, baggage and walls? We keep people at bay believing we are protecting ourselves but in the long run aren't we really losing out? I'm not talking about running amuck, taking what I can get when it's given. I'm talking about real, pure, grown-up expression and demonstrations of a feeling coming from inside. This is my personal decision: This time around I'm not going to hold love hostage. I'm going to, with consideration of others hearts, say the things I'd like to say each day, even when I'm afraid of sending out unreturned emotion. This is life. My one and only life. If I've got passion, warmth and love in my heart, my commitment is to express it freely, without expectation. Regardless of what comes back, at the end of the day I want to lay my head down knowing you never had to wonder if I loved you. I do.