Love, that thing we have great difficulty even

describing, is the only truly real and lasting

experience of life. It is the opposite of fear, the

essence of relationships, the core of creativity, the

grace of power an intricate part of who we are. It

is the source of happiness, the energy that

connects us and that lives within us.

     Love has nothing to do with knowledge,

education, or power; it is beyond behavior. It is

also the only gift in life that is not lost. Ultimately,

it is the only thing we can really give. In a world

of illusions, a world of dreams and emptiness,

love is the source of truth.

     For all its power and grandness, however, it is

elusive. Some spend their lives searching for love.

We are afraid we will never have it, that if we

find it, we will lose it or take it for granted,

fearing it will not last.

     We think we know what love looks like, since

we formed pictures of it during childhood. ...

The most common ideal is the romantic ideal ...

-- from "Life Lessons" by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross &

                                        David Kessler