“I am grateful to have been loved and to be loved now and to be able to love, because that liberates. Love liberates. It doesn’t just hold—that’s ego. Love liberates. It doesn’t bind. Love says, ‘I love you. I love you if you’re in China. I love you if you’re across town. I love you if you’re in Harlem. I love you. I would like to be near you. I’d like to have your arms around me. I’d like to hear your voice in my ear. But that’s not possible now, so I love you. Go.'” ~ Dr. Maya Angelou
True love liberates us to life. It liberates us all. It does, it really does. But only true love can do that…
I think love has power that is not always recognized. It is not always right to 'liberate' someone. We are put into other's lives for reasons; sometimes love calls upon us to love past impediments, including the impediment that someone we love has shunned us. In some circumstances, 'liberating' a beloved so they might avoid a conflict as arisen might be the right choice. It might also be the more loving more right choice, to actively remind the other you love them and remind them you are open to working through the relationship.
Increasingly, I see much value in marriage commitment. I don't imagine I will ever marry again. I am not opposed to people living together as life partners without marriage.
Sometimes, a soul partner comes along with lessons for us. To liberate a beloved from their lessons is not loving. Yes we annot make someone interct with us but if we feel deeply bonded to that other being and feel a clear call to remain open to them, open to working through the relationship, I believe it is unloving to, as Angelous ays in the quote, 'liberate them'.
Besides, I don't think Angelous is writing about 'liberating' a loved oneo forever. A trip to China is not forever. Space to do something apart from a loved one is not permanent liberation.
I am noticing that I often read great quotes online. For a few moments, the quote might penetrate me and I will tell myself it is right.
There is no one right way of thinking about anything, not ben when the thinkerk is somoene as fine as Maya Angelou.
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