Yeah, Jon, the "romantic love" obsession in our culture has caused terrible damage in people's lives. But that's not what I'm speaking of when I use the word "love". I am speaking of something which makes you value and care about another person, an animal, a plant, or a nation, or a community or an ideal...or anything...it even makes you value and care for yourself.

But it's NOT something that makes you think you can own the beloved, NOT something that makes you jealous, NOT something that makes you obsessive or demanding.

Real love manifests as a desire to give, not to take. And to give freely. And without expecting anything in return. Real love is relatively rare, but it happens. The more things it is given freely to, the realer it becomes.

Feeling it inside isn't enough. You have to DO it to make it real.