“A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.”
-Kurt Vonnegut, from Sirens of Titan
I once heard a man say, “when it comes to love, if you don’t show it, it doesn’t count.” In that brief and simple statement, he clarified and reinforced a core belief of mine. Most of us think of love as a noun, but it is, first and foremost, a verb.
I’m grateful that the words “I love you” are, and always have been, used generously in my family. Because of that, I’ve never suffered with the internal resistance that inhibits so many from speaking those three big words. I’ve never been afraid to say it.
I considered choosing the word love for this week’s glossary of feelings entry. But, no matter which part of speech, all the definitions seemed inadequate to me. They referred to attraction and admiration, desire and devotion. None captured the essence of the thirteen words spoken by my friend.
This week’s journaling prompt is about what I know to be the most powerful force in the universe. So, as we approach another Hallmark holiday, regardless of whether you are giving or receiving greeting cards, or candy, or flowers, ask yourself.
Do you embody the love you carry in your heart?
Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Glossary of Feelings entry VI
Anxious (adjective)
characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency : WORRIED
characterized by, resulting from, or causing anxiety : WORRYING
ardently or earnestly wishing
This Week in History
February 11, 1990 - Nelson Mandela is released after 27 years imprisonment in South Africa.
February 12, 1999 - President Bill Clinton acquitted by the Senate in his impeachment trial.
February 13, 1945 - Allied planes begin bombing Dresden, Germany; a firestorm results and over 22,000 die.
February 14, 1929 - St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, 7 gangsters killed, allegedly on Al Capone's orders.
February 15, 1867 - Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky weds Anna Snitkina at Trinity Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
February 16, 1959 - Fidel Castro becomes the 16th Prime Minister of Cuba after overthrowing Fulgencio Batista.
February 17, 1909 - Geronimo, Bedonkohe leader and resistance fighter, dies at 79.
What I’m Reading
Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy
Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002, by David Sedaris
How to Write One Song: Loving the Things We Create and How They Love Us Back, by Jeff Tweedy
Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, by Dan Kindlon & Michael G. Thompson
What I’m Watching
Jamestown on PBS
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, on Hulu
What I’m Listening To
All Things Must Pass, George Harrison
Rock Spectacle, Barenaked Ladies
Journaling Prompt for the Week #7 of 2024
Is there someone you love who you aren’t telling? Why not? What are some ways you could show your love, but you don’t?
Check out “The Manifest Mixtape,” a community playlist on Spotify.
Have a great week. Thanks for reading.