I was speaking with a person recently, trying to get across points about love.  We were continuing a conversation from weeks prior, and love was the bottom of it, how we love, who we love, and whether we could love others without first loving ourselves.

I felt sorrow for the man as we ventured into the strange world of real love.  A world where there is life and unconditional regard and, in one word, grace.

I remembered because of him that we are often taught to earn everything.  Evaluation from superiors.  Admiration from lovers.  Income for meals.  Why would love be different?

Love–the gift given, whenever it is given, in lavish laughter and open-handedness of someone else–is always a gift that comes for free and for freedom.  That’s a world we hardly know and if we know it, we don’t know it well.