How many words for “LOVE” do exist? And what is the slightly different meaning of the various terms? Or, in other words, is love equal love?
Why do I want to write about love today? I mean, what is it, that is so fascinating about this feeling, that is so hard to describe, yet so near to all of us? And I am not talking about romantic love alone.
And there I am. In the middle of my proper definitions for love:
Romantic love, which seems to occur in an intimate and very passionate kind of attraction to one person and which – needless to say – can arouse butterflies in one’s stomach with every thought of the person one is loving. Or? Am I mixing up romantic love with amorousness?
No, I think, that true love to a partner always has a romantic part.
I know a lot of couples that found each other by matchmaking, organized by friends or family members. So, at the point in time, when they got to know each other, there was nothing like “falling in love” or butterflies. Terms like interest, curiosity and excitement come to their mind, when asking them about their feelings and thoughts at the first sight. Then, after talking to each other for a while, they describe it more as a provocation sometimes and often attraction. But this feeling of love only blossomed even after engagement or marriage.
Hm. An acceptable model to face love, I think.
Good. What about platonic love, love for animals, the environment, for things?
What about the love for God?
Well – looking it up in the dictionary, platonic love means friendship. But I think, that there are various kinds of friendships. Whereas the one true love I feel for my partner is unique, deep and unexplainable (Why explain? I mean, you have to feel it and your partner has to feel it. Period.). Platonic love may come in nuances.
I think also, that humans without platonic love are not able to love in any way.
Love for siblings, for the own children and love for parents is something that seems to be natural, god given and self-evident. True, if you look at small children loving their siblings and parents. I am just observing my nearly 4-year-old nephew regarding his younger brother. A gaze filled with love. This brother-love is astonishing.
What about adolescents and grown-ups? Aren’t we hearing about young people not understanding their parents, even hating them? And does not every one of us know grown-ups, cutting their ties to their parents? In my opinion a tantrum of young people against their parents correlates with their love to them. It is a sign of showing their will for independence and self-determination. Cutting the ties irretrievably as an adult to one’s parents is something that might have a complex story behind.
Love for animals
In my childhood we had a family cat, called Tarzan. And I really would say, that the whole family loved Tarzan. When we lost him, it was a tragedy, especially for my younger brothers and me. We were suffering about the loss for a while, but then we overcame it. So, can love for animals reach the same intensity as love for a person? Hm. I think that loving animals in general is something that is within our hearts. Caring for them, not harming them is for the most part a matter of decent education. Isn’t it? Is it that simple? Why then are animals being mistreated so often by people who consider themselves to love someone?
In my observation a person who loves another person does not naturally love animals or an animal, but a person who loves an animal or animals is gifted by the ability to love a person. I am not talking about obsessive love or kind of these things. No, I only mean the ability and the courage (yes, I say courage) to love.
Do animals feel love? I mean, in Islam all creatures are supposed to have a soul. Animals have souls. So, are they able to feel love? I would say: Yes!
When I think about love for the environment, I am getting closer to that very big feeling that starts, includes and ends with the one and special love for God. I look at plants in a garden, in a park or in a forest, touching them, smelling at them and that makes me feel like getting a confirmation to that what I am already believing in. Not that I need this validation, it is not that easy to explain: this sentiment for something which is so wonderful, yet habitual (like an apple tree or one of my orchids, which never ever have disappointed me) extends the sense of love for the one who gave us all theses gifts including ourselves.
Walking through the nature makes me more confident in things and persons around me not only in times when I am in doubt.
So, love not only needs confidence, but also generates it.
And if this is true, love is the key to wash away our wordlessness when it comes to protecting our nature for our children and further descendants, it is the key to act for the survival of our wonderful environment and to believe in the good will of other people around you.
Getting back to romantic love, I was just asking my mother a few days ago about the Arabic words for love: Ashk and Hobb. Of course, there are many other words, describing and paraphrasing “love” in Arabic, but to me – as an Arab with a German native language, or a German with an Arabic heart language – I felt like the word “Ashk” is not used in everyday language.
It seems to be an outmoded word, which is not true for the Turkish usage of the term Aşk. In my opinion the Arabic word “Ashk” should be revived a little bit, as to me, it enlarges the intensity of the word Hobb in Arabic.
I will keep on investigating on love. Not that I need answers or an explanation for about what love really is. No, I just want to learn more about the terms, meanings, feelings and stories about love in different cultures and religions.
Love. Yes, love. I really am in love. I love. And I am loved. What more could I wish all the people out there than to love?
So, at the end, I will write a few lines about the love for my work.
It is a love spiced with compassion, patience, confidence, amazement, power and dedication.
I love l’iman. And I am working nearly day and night to fulfill the nice and challenging requests that came in the last weeks.
Beside my Online Shop www.l-iman.com I am just building up an agency for design and “real” communication. Stay curious about l’iman. I thank you for your love and reliance.
Love.
