Love

The subject of my thoughts tonight is this quote by author C.S. Lewis:

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken..."

To truly love a person is to take a chance on them, to give them your heart and trust they'll keep it safe. It's to let them inside and allow them to change you. And no matter how small the change, it means that from that point on, they will forever be a part of who you are. To love is to give away a part of yourself, expecting a part of another in return, and while sometimes this happens, often it does not.

I have a tendency to jump into relationships with both feet- to love wholeheartedly and without restraint. And though this usually a good thing for the people I love, it's not always so wonderful for me. It often results in one-sided relationships and hurt feelings. But a friend recently reminded me that it's often the pain in our lives that teaches us the most important lessons and this is definitely a big one for me. I'm slowly, slowly learning to be more cautious in my friendships and not expect everyone to return my love with the intensity that I give it. And I'm hearing, once again, the clarity of truth in a different (but also very wise) friend's saying: that in this life, balance is key.