We know what love is and what it is not. Love is not rude and does not demand its own way. If somebody claims to love us but never listens, that’s no love at all.

Love bears fruit. There are fruitless efforts, but there is no such thing as fruitless love. I think that is good news. We can rest assured that we have never loved in vain. We might not get the response that we hoped for, but then, what do we know? One of the finest things our loving acts produce is peace in our heart. We know we have done the right thing. If our love is ill-received, we can let go and move on. A loving heart is not held down by a grudge. We do not plan revenge. We wish people well, whether they like us or not.

Our loving acts create a ripple effect that continues in perpetuity. We touch more people than we will ever know. Love upgrades this world. When we have been wronged we forgive. Love is patient, but love is no doormat. Whatever it is we have to do to move out of a situation of abuse – that needs to be done.

After everything is said and done, we have to let go of the past for our sanity’s sake. This process will give our broken hearts the capacity to heal and love again, unfettered and free. Love is patient and kind and does not need to keep records of past mistakes.