What does it mean to love without limits?
(A super sappy abstract essay)
When I approach this question, an image of a white-feathered swan comes to mind. Its wings are spread so wide, it casts a shadow in the deep corners of my mind. The dark corners call for the librarian in me to find memories under "love." They're usually by the "hurt" section.
After retrieving these volumes, I settle down by the next nearby sitting area, a chair, a desk, a floor will do. And upon opening the books, thus starts the sun again shining on me, light rays emanating from the spine, the pages, and even the words in black. They glow in gold.
And I think in the most cheesy possible way. I am Thi as in the drink, a beverage with water and brewed tea leaves. And when sun hits me, I evaporate. Leave me out long enough, I am gone. But I will still exist in the form of vapor. I want to still be me when I transform. Love is about transformation.
In the same vein, this is exactly how a hurricane forms. The sun is behind it all. It summons all these water particles from the ocean. Then, due to the uneven heating of the burning star, winds circulate the earth. When the conditions are right, the natural beast brews, forms and storms. Wings out wide like a swan, it casts shadows on massive parts of the Earth. It rains hard and takes its time, converting all its energy in this deposition until it runs out.
We should love like hurricanes. Life is too short to not make an impact on those we love and the ideas we care about.
Many understand this concept, but accidentally leave out another component. It takes patience. Just very rarely in life, we meet other hurricanes and are able to experience the Eye of their storm, a place where it is calm, a sudden realization of its magnitude because the disappearance of noise, a sudden a-ha moment, and understanding. Sometimes, these moments are blissfully surprising and unexpected when I least expect it. For me, it is found in the silence of long car-rides, the soft voices and full presence at the dining table, and the solitude I experience everywhere I go--and yes, even during this time of the Coronavirus..
All the noises are still there around you. And destruction is inevitable. You must come to accept this. And while the storm rages on and you want to go on with it sometimes, you must remember to be gentle.
Only then can we learn to forgive, create meaning, mean something to someone else, and live without limits.
Chamonix, France - Summer 2019