Are You An Unconditional Lover?

I decided to write this post whilst looking at one of our dogs, Dash. Dogs give us, their owners, the purest form of love. They are happy to see us always, regardless of what mood we are in. They are full of joy and excitement for the simplest things in life. If we get angry, they still come back later looking for cuddles. They are loyal and steadfast in their love. They provide the most steady and secure companionship which is nourishing and healing, without asking for anything in return. Dogs are unconditional lovers.

There is something to be learnt from their unwavering love. Of course it’s important to understand and acknowledge our natural fluctuation of emotions, and put in boundaries for our own emotional safety if someone is continuously showing up to us in a way that is damaging. However, we do place so many conditions around love. About what traits, both physical and personal our partner must have. About what circumstances and experiences we can feel love towards. Love is boundless. The very notion of love is the truth of who we are. It’s ever lasting. So why do we try and categorise it, rather than broadening the possibilities for how and where we can experience it. You are the love of your own life, and when this becomes something you are embodying then it is way easier to view situations, even less than desirable ones, through the lens of love. You then stop pigeon holing your one perfect person and instead focus on the fact that there are many different, delightful and unexpected ways that love can approach you. Ask yourself – do I love just because, or do I need a reason to love? Am I an unconditional lover? of people? of places? of circumstance? of life? When you choose to be in love in your life without an external dictating it, then what begins to enter your life packaged as love may surprise you.

As dash leapt up at me whilst writing this blog post, sticking her muzzle in my face, I refrained from getting frustrated. I instead took some breaths to take in her unconditional love, which she holds for me whenever I see her. It’s a gift, one I hope to embody for my life and those in it.