Happy Valentine’s Day!
Yes, it has come around once again! I love this holiday precisely for the reminder of giving love. That’s it. Simple. Whether you are loving your partner, spouse, child, friend, parent, associate, or every being on this planet. Let’s forgo the chocolates, flowers, and head right to the love! And how about being loving, in one way or another every day of the year, and not just on Valentine’s Day?!
How great is this? It warmed my heart as soon as I saw it. Happy Valentine’s Day!
How great is this? It warmed my heart as soon as I saw it. Happy Valentine’s Day!
The ancient Greeks were sophisticated in the way they talked about love, recognizing six different varieties. Eros (sexual passion), Philia (deep friendship), Ludus (playful love), Agape (love for everyone), Pragma (longstanding love), and Philautia (love of the self). As much as Eros is clearly the popular favorite as well as my personal favorite, I also appreciate the other forms.
For instance, Agape love has helped me with a recent crisis. I had a bad experience with a company I hired to reglaze my tub. They sent a man who was rude and unprofessional, and he did the job improperly leaving me with a problem that initially didn’t exist. When I say the woman from the company (who I spoke to on the phone) was rude, I’m being kind. Together, these two could have shut down their company from their lack of customer service skills. After a lot of back and forth on the phone and even hiring a lawyer in an attempt to right their wrong, I eventually had to drop pursuing them. It was not easy, as they had my money for a botched job. However, when my blood would boil thinking about them, I started to internally send them love. I was reminded of how instantly Agape love works since my blood would immediately cool off, and the situation would be put into perspective right away. Most importantly, I would feel better again.
All the six different variations of love mentioned above are wonderful to put into our lives on a regular basis. What do you think about these various forms of love, and how might they fit or not fit into your routine?