Unconditional Love-By Lynn G.

What is Unconditional Love

We all have some concept of unconditional love. Maybe it’s the romantic unconditional love often seen in movies or in music, or maybe it’s the pure unconditional love between a parent and child.

As I was thinking what I wanted to write today, I did a quick Google search to get an idea of the most common definition of unconditional love. The general consensus was that unconditional love is the kind you give without requiring anything in return. One quote in particular I stumbled upon stuck in my mind: Unconditional love is to love someone for who they are, who they were, and who they will be (Chris Moore).

But what does it really mean? We say we love our husbands and our children unconditionally, and that love is real in our hearts. But often, we let our daily lives and other emotions get in the way. We experience anger, we become frustrated, we get into petty squabbles – and when we lose ourselves in those moments, we forget to show that unconditional love. This leads to the appearance of imagined love – when love is shown only when something good is done, or as a reward.

Unconditional love is all the time. It’s kindness. It’s respect. It’s appreciation. It doesn’t go away when you’re fighting with your spouse or disciplining your children. And you can manage these things while still showing love.

This is something I struggle with a lot. I have a very defensive side, and I tend to lash back at critical comments without thinking first. I love my husband more than words can describe, but unfortunately he is the most frequent victim to this and at times our relationship has suffered because of it. That is not how unconditional love is expressed. I don’t intend to treat my husband that way, and I don’t want my son growing up thinking that is appropriate. I do want to show them the love I carry for them in my heart, and I do want to set a good example of true, unconditional love.

Unconditional love is to love someone for who they are, who they were, and who they will be. Despite the ups and downs of everyday life, we should all aspire to remember that quote, and to practice it in our daily lives.

*Lynn G. is also a SITS member (The Secret to Success is Support). Please stop by and visit Lynn G.'s blog site for more insights at www.lostandholdinghands.blogspot.com you can also follower her on twitter/getlostwithlynn