There are all these qualifiers and rules that we decide what it needs.
Who, how or why we love and care another person is defined and regulated by others and ourselves.
We mix love up with passion.
How do we define love? Perhaps you think love is limited to romantic relationships.
This is passion and would exclude your family.
Love is multifaceted.
This pure emotion can be share with romantic partners family and many more.
Love is given to our friends and sometimes love is given to people we just know.
We even can share love with strangers this is what the world needs.
Even though many people define love as limited to only the close of relationships.
Have you heard that verse? Love is what makes the world work.
Many churches preach "Love your neighbor as yourself" while deeming it a sin to like yourself.
Therefore if you hate, attack, demoralize, martyr and deny yourself then you are doing the world a disservice because then you can not teach the world love.
You must love yourself so you can love your neighbors AS yourself.
Did you notice who to love? How to love them? Then you notice love your neighbor, that means anyone else.
Not specifically your actual neighbor.
In your family you probably have relatives you do not like, but you love them because they are part of your family.
Why is it okay to love them if they are family, but not if they are a friend or an acquaintance.
You can love them for who they are no matter their relationship to you.
Can you accept others? Accept another person's flaws.
Accept who they are.
If you do not like what they do, then do not love that aspect.
Perhaps if they are always negative and insulting people, tell them.
If they can not or will not change, let that aspect go.
Love the person and if you know you can not love what the person does, let the person go.
Maybe the person will change, maybe not, but with distance you can love the person without hurting over the issue.
Is love only for people? Love the moment you are in.
Do not regret the times past, it made you who you are.
Do not constantly look to tomorrow, it is not guaranteed.
Love this moment.
If you are stuck in a traffic jam behind schedule, you can not change that aspect.
You can love that you can practice deep breathing or the music that is playing, or the ability to plan out how to make the traffic jam work for you rather than against.
Love is not a habit, a commitment, or a debt.
It isn't what romantic songs tell us - love simply is..
..
love is.
No definitions.
~ Paulo Coelho