What Exactly IS Love? // Living a Life that Leaves a Legacy of Love, Part 3

<p>There are basically two types of love in this world. Conditional love and unconditional love. One belongs to the world. It’s a shallow imposter. The other one belongs to God. It’s the real thing.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;">Love is a Radical Thing</span></strong></h4> <p>Marilyn Monroe once said:</p> <p style="padding-left: 40px;"><em>I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you certainly don't deserve me at my best.</em></p> <p>That’s a cheery thought isn’t it? But it makes an important point. People who are perfect are easy to love aren’t they? They never make mistakes. They never fall short of our expectations. They never disappoint us, or hurt us, or ignore us.</p> <p>Yep – those people are soooo easy to love. Have you ever found one? A perfect person that is … No, me neither. Of course we know that there aren’t any perfect people walking on this planet. We kind of know that in our heads, but that doesn’t stop us from expecting perfection when we go looking for love. And I’m not just talking boy–girl, husband–wife type of love.</p> <p>Friendship is a form of love. Being a parent involves loving. In fact, in a sense, we can interact with work colleagues, associates, acquaintances – either in love, or not. With compassion, or not. With kindness, or not. You understand what I’m saying, right?</p> <p>My dictionary tells me that love is a strong feeling of affection and even attraction. That can be true. Well, it is true … at least in part. At least some of the time. But that dictionary definition falls a long way short of what love really is. That romantic sort of love is easy to have when the person we’re loving is perfect – and lets face it, everybody can be perfect in short bursts.</p> <p>But anybody who’s ever been married will tell you that their life–long soul mate is far from perfect, lots of the time. Anybody who’s ever been a parent will tell you that their chi