Guest Author: Alyssa-Marie Pauline

Today we have a guest author: Alyssa-Marie Pauline from Portland, OR. I was surprised to discover this entry on her blog, as much of what this blog has been about has been the need for societal context to straighten itself out if love itself is to be preserved. I had been considering the reverse, the need for love to be preserved if society is to be overhauled substantially, and found more than one "independent confirmation" had surfaced in my world with the idea. Here is Alyssa-Marie's version:

What is Love? (Pass it along);

So I’d like to take a serious moment here (gasp, I know) - to speak my peace on a matter I feel very strongly about; Love. No, not the oy-he’s/she’s-so-fine-wanna-make-him/her-mine kind of love, & not the ‘honeymoon phase’-of-having-a-new-beau type of love either. The real thing; the love you hold that has no label to it, no strings attached. Just pure, straight from the soul, unconditioned, untainted love. Not sure what I’m getting at? Yeah, that’s the problem. In these times, love is a rarity. Some-THING many people cannot even grasp, because society has dealt love to be some generic concept. And just that, love is defined as some-thing, not simply as love. Allow me to elaborate, if you will;

Can anyone actually explain love? Even in the simplest of forms, say to a child - how would you define to them what love is? Think on that for a moment. What do you come up with? A lot of symbolic examples? Metaphors? An attempt at explaining an emotion? You might be saying, ‘Well, how else are you supposed to define love?’ — Aha - exactly my point. Defining love. Is there such? If you look up the word in the dictionary, it reads out that love is a strong emotion, a passionate affection, a personal attachment. But that’s merely an attempt to elaborate on some word. Again, we’re getting nowhere. Why? Because, my belief, Love is undefinable. It doesn’t need an explanation, or thousands of examples & metaphors. We don’t need to think on it. And we shouldn’t. Because love simply is.

If you’re to attach love to anything, make it an action. The small gesture of a smile to complete strangers, a compliment, a favor made (with no expectations), an honest remark to your friend (even if they won’t like what you have to say). Love isn’t a word to think about and define. Love is an awareness. Love is honesty. Love is happiness shared. Love is an action. And this is what we need in the world; naturally pure, non-judging, unlabeled, unconditional love.

So, I ask you to partake in this radical movement of mine. A love revolution. Where you don’t think on love, you do it. Start with yourself, your family & friends, then continue with neighbors and by-passers. Hold it in, pass it along.

*Radiate Love.*