What's love got to do, got to do with it?

I've been tossing this post around in my head for ages now, and I'm still not convinced it'll come out in a way that's coherent, but I'll give it a go.

This morning when I arrived to look after Little One and Little Flower, they both shrieked with joy and yelled my name. Little Flower has only recently started saying my name, so that's pretty exciting too. That's gotta be love, they way they get excited when they see me. And I love them to bits. It's been an amazing privilege to be a part of their lives, and know that I helped teach Little One to count, that I've made an impact on their lives.

On my last Sunday before I went to Texas, the head of the children's work at church called me out to get the kids to pray for me. I was amazed how when she asked them to raise their hand if they'd ever been taught by me or babysit, or cared for by me, more than half the room (there were probably 60 kids) raised their hands. I didn't realise that I had been a part of some many different people's lives.

That's the thing about life. No man is an island. Everyone is connected to other people in some way. Even if a person has no close family, there are usually people in their life that they are close to, that they love and are loved by.

When the boy and I broke up, I remember having a day where I wondered why people bother loving others, when all it leads to is hurt. I think that's when this post started percolating in my head. It took me a little while, but I realised that to love is to live. Unless we love other people, in whatever form that love may take, we don't really know what it is to be alive, to be human.

I think one of the things I've learnt, or maybe been reminded of over the last few weeks and months, is all the different ways that you can love. It might sound shocking at face value if I were to tell you that absolutely I love The Boy to bits, he's great, I can't say enough good things about him. But, that's as a friend. He's an amazing guy, he's a great friend. He's always going to have been my first boyfriend, and there's a special place in my heart for him because of that. but more than that, I had the privilege to get to know him personally for a few weeks, and out of that I got to catch a glimpse of how amazingly on fire for God he is, and his genuine concern and affection for others. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting him on a pedestal, or saying that he's faultless, or anything like that, I'm just trying to explain how it's possible for me to be able to say I love him still.

One of the great things I love about being part of the blogging community, and also the community over on Etsy, is that I can honestly say that I love people I've never met. Which is a really strange, almost mad thing to say, I guess. But somehow, blogging and other similar online activities connects people. It allows people a chance to get to know one another, to develop friendships, and to share in each others happiness and pain.

I have some other things to say, but I think I might make them another post. In the meantime, leave me a post and tell me who you love, and why. Or just drop by and say hi. (Consider yourself prompted to de-lurk!)