Valentine's day is right around the corner and I have something to say that is completely irrelevant.
A few weeks ago I found myself thinking about how our society perceives romantic love. It seems like all the meaning in our lives comes down to, and from, romantic love. My speculation is that, it is a place-holder for a more universal feeling of connectedness, and possibly, also an attempt at fighting our existential alone-ness (not loneliness).
Regardless of the reason, one thing is pretty certain. Love makes people happy. I know happy, in-love music makes me happy.
Then I started wondering, what if I could feel like I am in love without necessarily being in love.
So, I thought about the things make me feel really happy. I came up with this list:
Then I started wondering, what if I could feel like I am in love without necessarily being in love.
So, I thought about the things make me feel really happy. I came up with this list:
- Going to bed completely relaxed at night. Lately, that has been rare for me. The other night, I happened to go to bed completely relaxed and absolutely loved the feeling.
- The calm after a good workout.
- Filling in the gaps of my understanding about various concepts. Learning new things. Finding mistakes in my thinking and fixing them - It's exhilarating!
- Connecting with strangers.
- Thinking about this one specific little person - the love I feel for them (I wrote this before my niece was born. Now I can just say thinking of her makes me happy :))
- Listening to real musical talent.
- Poetry, o poetry. The way some poets bring ideas together, it makes me melt.
- Having moments of real connection with people in my life, when I can see them and feel them for who they are and when I can entirely be myself.
- Being able to make a difference for someone; helping them feel better, even if it's temporary peace for them :).
- The experience of free fall! O DEAR GOD! (Maybe there's some connection to "falling in love" there? The adrenaline rush maybe.)
