True love. Have you found it? How has it transcended your life?

True love... now those two words are the most powerful words I know. Throughout history men have fought to their deaths for such love. Poetry, music, and art have been expressed because of the idea of  finding that one everlasting love. How many of us have known a Romeo or Juliet sneaking out late at night in the quest of true love? I know who you are! (I promise I won't tell Mom! I already know!) So much construction and destruction all for the sake of finding the right person. Construction-- when my son began doing his homework to impress his girlfriend. (Yippee!) I'm sure there have been a few of us who have been very constructive when cupid launches his arrows. Destruction-- when my daughter moped around the house not doing a thing. The question remains as to how many of us have found true love, and how many still are lured in with the fascination of finding that one special treasure. What exactly makes a love true or better than another?  How many of us divorce for having fallen out of love with the one we thought was (drum roll please) "THE ONE"?

The first love--- the love of self. I don't believe we can love another till we love ourselves. In a healthy relationship, one has to be complete to love another. Yet so many believe they are not complete without this other half.  This other half that often is the opposit of who we are.  Intriguing! Yet how many of us can say we love ourselves? Have you found out who you are as an individual yet or are you waiting to have someone else complete you? Accepting who you are, where you are right now and loving yourself unconditionally are the first steps to get on the right track of finding true love. 

So many of us look for perfection, yet we must realize we are not perfect. There is not one human being on this planet who will ever meet our needs exactly the way we hope for them to be met.  The only person who can meet those needs exactly is us.  So why not begin doing nice things for ourselves first? Once you begin making yourself happy, you will attract happy people.  It's like the saying misery loves company. However, who wants to be miserable forever? I believe we can turn our lives around and head in the right direction and find true love once we truly love ourselves. That is, for those of us still searching!

You'd be surprised by how many women I have talked to who were waiting for someone else to do something nice for them.  Many sat by the phone hoping it would ring instead of doing the things that made them smile. In the age of cell phones, answering machines and email I found it surprising to find women still sitting home waiting for Mr Right to call or email them.  If he is Mr Right, don't you think he will wait for your return?  Think of what you can tell him when you do converse again!

Everytime I think of true love I can't help but to think of George Burns and Gracie Allen from what seems to be a bygone era. I guess we all have our ideas of what true love is like. This is something as individuals we need to take the time to jot down.  What are our love goals? What kind of personality does our true love have? Have you written down the kind of characteristics you NEED in a person to be happy? Whether you are married or not think about how you will be able to keep this love.   I can tell you love is a garden that needs to be watered and tended to and it won't all come naturally.  Mr and Mrs Right will disappoint you. He or she will not always have the answers or do what you expect. If we drop all of our expectations, we might find the love of our lives is perfect being themselves and not what we want. To love means to accept this person for who they are, limitations and all.

Love takes work. Yup, you read that right! It's not always a picnic in the park when your love is having a bad day. You might not like what they have in that picnic basket. So you have to learn to love and laugh.  The key to any relationship is communication... so keep it real and keep talking!

With spring in the air... here's to TRUE love.  May we all find the love of our lives and make our own happily ever after!

I have written a poem below with true love in mind. 
 

TRUE LOVE
Love transcends through all space and time,

Flitting in circles through both heart and mind,

Dancing in crevices of the unknown,

Young and alive, this love of our own.

Love knows no age, no second, or hour,

When love comes to call, we know its deep power,

To fear love would squelch its unique design,

Of opening up and boldly claiming “it’s mine”.

This love of another lures us with a subtle stir,

One mesmerizing glance brews a hearts rolling purr,

The fragrance of sweetness like lily upon our bed,

Love conquers our visions inside of our head.

One little ounce of love in our mind

Transcends each waking moment where love we do find

From the moment of waking till the time of deep sleep

Love envelops every second of this dream that we keep.

Nourishing daily, filling our soul

Laughing, dreaming, where we go.

Love is just there. Alive. Awake.

It’s up to each soul to grasp her and take…

Take in the joy, the love of another,

Take in the refreshing breathe like no other,

True love will not vanish or leave your side,

She stays with you daily till the day you die.

Here is another poem I wrote for my adopted son, Noah.  The love I feel for him goes beyond any words I could ever write.  Love comes in many forms and we each express it in our own unique way.  I can tell you that the love I have for Noah is just as strong as the love I have for my own biological children.  It is the true st love I know.  Even though Noah has down syndrome, coloboma and two holes in his heart, he is the love of my life and the joy of my heart.