from the February 2006 Star Beacon
How much in love are you?
Valentine’s Day is
special, because it focuses on love, and brings people together in
the middle of a season that is often bleak and mundane.
Valentines, with their brightly colored hearts, bring a smile and
light up a person’s face. It is a wonderful tradition, a reminder
that Love is what makes the Universe glow.
Parental Love —
From when we are very young, we know parental love, the special
bond between ourselves and our mother, our father, or whoever it
is that is Number One in our lives from the very beginning. This
bond is a special one, and we feel it again when we become a
parent and have a child to nurture, to raise, and to teach love
to.
Sibling Love —
Some of us may fight among our siblings when we are young, yet at
the core there is that special bond again, a love feeling for
one’s sister or brother in a family, that sometimes is not
recognized or appreciated until we’ve matured.
Teacher Love —
As we grow and learn, we are influenced by those whose role as
teacher or mentor bring us to a higher understanding of life. This
kind of love is more of an admiration, or respect for those who
have given so much of themselves to help us on our path.
Animal Love —
Most of us, when growing up, have the pleasure of bonding with a
pet. A dog, a cat, a horse or rabbit — whatever the animal is, we
discover unconditional love through a friend of another species. A
being that loves us, even when we feel we don’t deserve it, is a
gift beyond measure.
Puppy Love —
Adults often make fun of this kind of affection, or attraction, to
someone of the opposite sex (or same sex, for that matter),
especially when we are young, and yet feelings can be as real to
us then as later on, when we mature. Puppy love, they say, is
superficial and will wear off soon. But that doesn’t mean it is
any less valuable.
Romantic Love —
The next step up is when we fall in love for the first time
(although this can happen with Puppy Love, too). Who can ever
forget their first big crush, or important significant other?
Rarely does the first love of your life end up as the “one and
only”. Usually, it is the most unforgettable, at least until that
Special One comes along.
Unrequited Love
— This is a heart breaker. You love him or her totally... or so
you believe. But why is it they don’t reciprocate? This has to be
one of the most difficult disappointments in life, accepting the
fact that your beloved does not love you back. And there is
nothing you can do to force anyone to feel that way about you, no
matter how hard you try. In such a case, you need to do some deep
soul searching. Clinging to someone in this way ony makes things
worse. In such a case, you need to let them go... if you truly
love them, and you let them go their way, it is the greatest act
of love you can bestow on them, and upon yourself.
Love Thy Enemy —
Jesus taught this concept. Most people find this quite difficult.
It’s really very simple. You don’t need to like the person, or
approve of their behavior or what they stand for. But you can
still love them. All you need to do is recognize the Christ Spirit
within them, and if you do, you are evolving into a most special
being!
Soulmate Love —
A lot of people are confused about soulmates. They seem to think
they only have one soulmate, and that it is someone they are mated
to on a higher level, forever. We each have many soulmates. These
are the people in our lives we truly care for, and who have
perhaps been with us time after time, over many lifetimes. One
time an individual may be born as your child. Another time, he may
come through as your lover. Perhaps he was your parents the time
before that. Want to know who your soulmates are? Take a look
around you.
The Special One
— How fortunate you are if you should happen to attract the
Special One in your lifetime. Not everyone has this privilege, or
opportunity. If you do, you will know him or her when they appear
in your life, and you will recognize, through their vibration, who
they are. Most the time, the Special One will be in another plane
of consciousness while you live your life out on Earth. But you
can be assured he or she is with you, in spirit, and you only need
to reach out in meditation to make contact. This is the kind of
love that surpasses romantic love. Your heart will glow!
Love/Hate
Relationships — Sometimes people appear in our lives for a
specific reason, to fulfill a karmic debt, or provide a lesson we
need to learn, to complete our spiritual growth on the earth
plane. For example, people fall in love, then things go wrong and
they get divorced. Conflict comes into play, but it is all for a
reason. Once you realize this person was in your life to assist
you, you can allow them their misgivings and bless them on their
path. Loving them anyway is the best gift you can give not only
them, but yourself.
— Ann Ulrich Miller
