I don’t agree when people say things like ‘you deserve to be loved/ you need to find love/ hang in there, love will find you’ etc. Mostly this love refers to the romantic kind, the kind that makes you want to stay in bed for 5 extra mins of cuddle, slogging through a rough day to go back home to someone’s arms, so on and so forth. No doubt it’s beautiful but I think we are being myopic here, our ideas about life and love have been vividly painted by the world of motion pictures. In this age of ‘beyond the norm’ relationships, there still runs a parallel cliched love story.
For the longest, I believed that everyone comes across one great love in life, depending on whether it stays or not, you pick your narrative for love and related things. That would be it, simple, I thought. So when my ‘great’ love left I tried to weave my life accordingly with various permutations and combinations. I thought I did well but for reasons beyond my understanding, I was always told that while I let go of the past, I need to come out of ‘my shell’ and ‘I will find the forever kinda love’. I gave it a shot (no, I did not go on a dating app spree). But I didn’t find one great love, I found many, in more than one shape, size, form and feeling.
I saw it from the eyes of my mother who in her 40s is passionate about her entrepreneurial love. I smiled at the love of my innocent father who insists on video calls even when we have literally nothing to talk about and wishes me all the best at the end of every call. I was lucky enough to witness love from friends who keep me warm in more ways than I can probably think of. I experienced unconditional love of a handful family members. I am thankful for the love from those friends, who always help me pick clothes, despite the distance. I found love in the fading handwritten letter from a long lost friend. I reciprocated love that came disguised as all okay, let me know when you reach home and how are things. I appreciated love that came as assurance in the form of hugs, forehead kisses and holding hands while crossing the road.
Like Rumi said, we are born of love, love is our mother. So please, let love be fluid. Let love just be!
sindulgence 