Love Lessons Learned

In my quest for living a life free of regrets, I strive to see all things, good, bad or indifferent as the opportunity to live a full life and learn the lessons that the universe is teaching me. Each person that has come into my life have come with a lesson. Some of those lessons have been harder to learn than others...some of the lessons I've as yet to figure out. In an abbreviated fashion here are the love lessons I've learned.

From:
My parents: I've learned that love should be unconditional and given without strings.
My Grandma: That love is in fact unconditional and able to overlook somethings.
My Granddad: That love is undignified...that grown-ups should get down on their hands and knees and play horsie at times, and that love often sits back and watches and does things quietly and without fanfare.
My brothers: That love doesn't mean liking you all the time.
My Grandpa Wade: that love is resilient, that the loss of one love isn't the end of the world and that both spiritual love and physical love are a lifelong persuit.
Shaun Cassidy & Farrah Fawcett: that crushes make you feel alive.
David Mc: that first love is survivable and that one person will always live in your heart.
Dan:that high school sweethearts are like training wheels, wonderful at teaching us to ride but eventually just a training tool that are left behind when we are ready to fly solo.
Robert: that love should never be on the rebound.
Andy: that my grandmother's truisms weren't far wrong, love should find common ground and that a child can't be that ground.
Chris: love shouldn't be based on the fear of being alone and that really good sex doesn't make everything ok.
Lynn: that a brilliant mind is just as attractive as any other physical attribute.
Bill: that in order to love truly, first you must be true to yourself.
Ronnie: that love can be adventuresome, and that part of my true-self loves biking!
Kim: that I love women and that finally...finally I understand that I don't have to put up with abusive behavior...that I love myself enough to not make myself the target for someone else's hurt.
Pepper: that I'm not too old for the rush of a crush or the pain of being dumped.
Maya: that the love of an animal is just as fraught as human love, I just laugh more.

And from Erin, my baby girl, my heart: that the heart is capable of an infinite amount of love, from the first time I got to hold you....to the moment I kissed you good bye as you head into your journey as an adult that love makes us bigger, stronger and weaker than we ever imagined we could be, capable of both great good and horrible wrongs.

There have been others, some great, some small, all have touched my heart and helped me to grow. At this point in my life there is one thing I know for sure...that life is worth living...every day...every moment...with love and enthusiasm. Without love there is nothing.