Daffodil

I was wondering how each of you define unconditional love and /or what it really means to you.....I read a lot about love, loving, ect...but I thought I'd ask each of you to try to define UNCONDITIONAL LOVE in YOUR own words.....

This is something I found in a book called the Course in Mircles which I not only try to find the deepest meaning of but I try to put into practice with everyone I meet.

Unconditional love means that I cannot always predict my reaction or guarentee my strength,
But one thing is certain, I am commited to your
Growth and Happiness.

I will try always to accept you !

I will always love you!

Anyway it is something I've been thinking about lately and thought I'd throw it out there to all of you to have a go at...

Love and prayers,

Gabe

very literally means "love without conditions". It means that no matter what your actions are, I will still love you. I may not approve of your actions or behavior, but those things have no effect on my love for you. This does not mean that there are no consequences for actions or behaviors. It just means that those things do not interfere with the feelings of love from one to another. I think unconditional love is a very rare thing. And I think it occurs most often between parents and children.
Peace,
Gabe

osier59

For me, it's "in spite of" love; or "no matter what" love.

It's definitely NOT "because love"

I read somewhere if you want to see a living example of unconditional love, get a dog!

O59

jojo

I think that unconditional love probably only truly exists between a parent and their child. It means I love you and will forgive you no matter what and I think that is because your child is part of you. I also think that it is true between dog and owner. They sure do love us no matter what. Thank God! Do cats love that way?

Jo

countrygirl

Unconditional love - that is a tough one. I think of it like a spiritual love, like the Higher Power has for all of us. I am not sure I am capable of being so noble. But I do love my children, no matter what, so maybe so.

Even my dogs - I get something positive back from them and maybe that is part of my love. If my dog was attacking me every day, no affection, didn't love me back, would I still "love" him? Maybe not. But if I found out he had a disease like a brain tumor, maybe then I could understand and still love him and pity him. Not continue to get bit but still love him as I did whatever I had to do. Like a man with the disease of alcoholism who turns mean.

osier59

I have reconnected with a childhood friend. We were very close friends from the time we were 3 or 4. He has been in recovery for 21+ yrs, and he tells me that I was his memory of unconditional love during some of his lowest times before he found recovery. We are now dating and its wonderful. We know that no matter what we love each other very much. Whether or not we continue at a romantic level or as dear friends, this truth remains - we love each other - NO MATTER WHAT!

Ann

I really don't have much to add to what was said above, except to say that my son knows that I love him as much in his worst moment as I do in his best. That doesn't mean I accept or approve of any misdeeds, but it also means that he does not have to perform any heroic feats for me to love him more.

Unconditional love has no attachments or prerequisites, it is just love at its purest.

Hugs
Ann

Rose56

For me the most recognizable form of unconditional love is the love that my dog has for me(not the love I have for him). No matter what, in his eyes, hubby and I are the light of his life. He is always overjoyed to see us and will stand by us to the end.

With people it is a little more complex. Fooey. I know that my father loved me unconditionally, but sometimes I felt I disappointed him. As a mother, I know that I love my children, without condition. I will always love them, and I couldn't love them anymore than I do already. Whenever I have trouble understanding God or his relationship to me, I think of my children and then I can understand how he must care for me as his creation.

With hubby, my love is not conditional, I will always love him. What is conditional is whether I want to spend my life with him, under present conditions. He might tell you that my love is conditional, because I have complained about his behavior and lots of other things. But all those things are beside the point, because my actions speak loud of my unconditional love for him. Standing by him, choosing to be with him, choosing to walk with him though this difficult disease. Like I said, people are complex.

journeygal

I think all love, in its purest form, is unconditional. Love that comes with conditions is not love, it's control. Loving someone doesn't mean you agree with all they do or even like everything about them. And it doesn't mean you can live with them. But once you truly love someone, nothing they do should ever change that.

myles1

What is the difference between setting boundaries for ourselves and conditional love?

We can't just let people walk on us.

Ngaire

Daffodil

Hi Ngaire, Isn't it interesting to think on these things...since each of us can have different boundaries and each of us can have a difference belief about unconditional love.
To me boundaries are ; drawing a line and saying this is unacceptance to me and in my space....Setting boundaries to me has nothing to do with my loving someone...sooner or later my sharing space with someone, I will have to let them know what I find unacceptable...Just because I find some behavior unaccpectable doesn't mean I quit loving that person..I have to love myself enough to have boundaries...I loved my mother but when her drinking became unacceptable to me I had to leave because it was distoring the fagile relationship we had left....I believe I have boundaries because if I didn't MY behavior would become unaccpetable to me. I would lose the person my H.P. created me to be...

I believe that the only truly source of unconditional love comes from my H.P. I can only practice unconditional love to the best of my human abillity...Looking up the word love in the dictionary really doesn't describe long lasting unconditional love to me...
Which means I can only describe it in a feeling sort of way but I believe it is also a spiritual thing that can happen between two people...be it our spouses, our children, our parents, or a dear friend....
What a mystery!
What a miracle when it happens in one's life time!
I hope this clears my thoughts on it for you Ngaire, If it doesn't at least It has given us some tthing to think on it....
Happy thoughts!

sadmama

unconditional love to me means,,
Even when i'm sad for you ,,,I loveyou
Even when i'm angry with you ,,,I love you
Even when i don't understand you ,,,I love you
Even when you are drunk ,,,I love you

LovingMom

I think for me it means that I...
Dislike the sin....love the sinner
Dislike the thieving....love the thief
Dislike the druggie/drunk....love the son.

I have three sons and two Boston Terriers....When my husband or myself leave the house..even for 20 minutes to run to McDonalds on the corner...the Bostons go nuts at our return...jumping and giving kisses as if we had been gone for days. The kids on the other hand..those that are still at home..will look at us and with utter distain ask what we brought them...Go figure.

Gabe

I thought you had a lot to add. That was a beautiful definition of unconditional love.
Peace,
Gabe