December 24, 2010

Romance and Christmas, the season of generosity, fit hand-in-hand. Is there any miracle more empowering than Love? In discovering not only that you love, but are loved in returned? And that you will never again be alone?

As a romance writer, I don’t just trade on the belief that we all feel love is the purpose to life, I embrace it. Whether in my current book HIS CHRISTMAS PLEASURE or any of the other twenty some novels I’ve written, I find three recurring themes, the things I know about love–

  1. There are many types of love. Love doesn’t just have to be about a person. It can be for a community, a country, ideals, a job, a feeling of being useful, or being productive. There is love of adventure, love of art, of creating whether it is painting a landscape or painting a wall in your home a different color. Love means we indulge in our passions, our desires, our needs, and our viewpoints and is manifested in kindness, compassion, empathy, and generosity.
  2. Love is a verb. The heart is a muscle. It must be exercised to be strong. It’s sad when love contracts. Sometimes that happens–out of jealousy, fear, or loss. But Love is best when it has the opportunity to expand. You can apply some of your love to your neighbors, your community, your customers and clients, your state, your country, your world and you will always have more to share. Love never runs out–as long as it is used. You know the saying that every time a bell rings an angel receives his wings? Well, I’m convinced every time we witness an act of love, the world grows stronger.
  3. How well you love and how well you are loved in return is the only true measure of a well-lived life. There are many people who say they love but try to control their love. They place conditions on it. The best love is what I call “free fall” love. You accept those you love. You understand that mates, children, parents, friends, all of them must follow their own paths. Yes, there is fear in losing control. We want to protect them, to make them reasonable and safe. However, sometimes, the most loving gesture we can offer is freedom and understanding. This is why many of us long for an encouraging word from those we love. A compliment, that little bit of thoughtfulness, helps build confidence that will be returned a hundredfold.

And what of you? How do you define love? During this holiday season as we slide from one year into the next, how do you share and show love?

Similar Posts

Living With Intention

Living With Intention

I need more time, but I find that my life doesn’t work so well when I farm stuff out—and that is true whether it is house cleaning or writing. I seem to need “hands on” time.  When I turn tasks, from the meaningful to mundane, over to other people, I lose touch with what I…

Writing Talk–Yes, There is a Way to Make This Easier
|

Writing Talk–Yes, There is a Way to Make This Easier

I am a fan of Angela Hunt’s books on writing.  They are practical, clever ways of understanding how fiction works and how to speed up writing. Angela and I met once through our mutual friend Robin Lee Hatcher.  It was one of those chance meetings in the hotel hallways at a writers’ convention.  After Angela…

Create
|

Create

In January, I pick a word for the year. This is a practice of my friend Felicia Mason, one of the most dynamic women, and writers, I know. She says focusing on one powerful word can lead to unexpected results. She’s right. Last year, my word was Passion. I strove to put passion into every…