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Cassandra Di Lalla (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

Love can be found in many different areas of our lives, not just in romantic relationships.

 

Love is one of life’s many treasures and it comes in many forms; it is powerful but it is deserving to every human.

 

Love is everywhere, love is boundless. 

 

It’s the kind of thing that you either look for or the one that finds you, or maybe even happens out of nowhere and when you least expect it. 

 

Love comes in different shapes and sizes, in any colour, at any age or stage in life; love does not discriminate over any sort of barrier whether it is medical, financial, emotional, physical, etc. Because love leads in life. 

 

We share love with our family members, our pets, our significant others, our friends, and we even share love with things we are passionate about or that make us feel as though the world is our oyster, but we also share love with people in general like a communal love…a universal love.
 

I value and I cherish both the love that I put out into the world and the love that I receive in return but I know that the love I feel for some is a different kind of love that I feel for others. My mother, my father, and my brother along with fur friends all fit in the same category of being my “Ride or Die”. They are the very definition of the saying ‘Family is forever’. My mother was the first woman I ever loved and my father was the first man I ever loved. I have always been able to count on them no matter the situation. My parents were always my rock and they never ceased to amaze me. My mother and father truly gave me unconditional love and I could only hope that they felt my unconditional love a million times stronger! It is thanks to my parents that I understand what love is and it is thanks to them that I’m able to express my love freely and unapologetically. The gift of a loving and caring family is what makes the weight of the world seem a little less heavy and life’s challenges seem a little less stressful.

 

To those of you who have a significant other, the love you feel towards one another is very special and very personal. It is the kind of love that many hope for, and that others may stumble upon, but it is one that not everybody has. It is an incredible feeling falling in love, being in love, and sharing the same love amongst one another. Being in a relationship is magical but it is not perfect, though looking beyond those imperfections is all part of the journey you’re on together. Your acceptance, your patience, your caring, and your kindness with one another is what leads to the final destination which is thought to be enjoying life together. 

Finding love in a romantic kind of way is nearly a full-time job because as humans, we’re looking for a partner whose values and morals line up nicely with ours, those who have a kind heart and are genuine with good intention, those who will be there for you through thick and thin, and with you in sickness and in health, etc. This kind of relationship is so special because our intention is to spend the rest of our lives with this person – our partner in crime and our other half. We want to be able to keep our heads above life’s deep waters and resist the urge to let go and allow ourselves to drown just because we were consumed by life’s tumultuous twists and turns. I have a fiancé and honestly, he’s been my lifeguard the entirety of our relationship…constantly pulling me out of life’s everlasting bodies of water because when my thoughts wander and flee – I feel like I’m drowning in despair.

When it comes to our pets, they deserve immeasurable praise; they’re undeniably loyal and they want nothing but your happiness and well-being because to them, that’s what matters most. Our pets always have the best possible intentions and are endlessly showering us with love and care. Some might say it’s overbearing but honestly, they deserve the world and then some. Our fur friends are non-judgemental, playful, loving, and intelligent creatures that always put us first despite how they’re feeling. They are always putting their owners up on a pedestal even if they themselves are the ones that need assistance from their humans. They’re selfless and will fight for you 100% of the time because they’re honoured to be a part of your family and forever grateful that you’ve given them a home filled with cuddles, snacks, and love. I cannot express enough how much I truly love animals, they just fill my heart. I’ve owned fish, cats, dogs, hamsters, birds, and mice. I’m currently still a pet owner and I guarantee that I’ll always be a fur mom.

Did you know there’s also such a thing as the love between a human and their passion(s)? Yep! It makes perfect sense to love something you’re passionate about. Whatever it is that you do is perhaps also something that reminds you that loving is easy and being loved is revolutionary; love will show you the light. 

Care to guess what other kind of love is important? Self love, you guessed it! Oh my heavens…this one is absolutely not done enough! Loving yourself and caring for yourself is a huge priority, and there’s more than a handful of ways to help yourself in doing so. Self love is being mindful of who you are as a person and learning new things everyday. It is accepting yourself for who you are. Self love is about appreciating the person you were, the person you are, and the person you will become because all three of those instances did, does, and will serve a purpose in your life. It is important to love yourself wholeheartedly and take the best care of yourself in order for you to live healthily. Since happiness is homemade, go ahead and create your own elixir for pure sunshine and smiles. Oh, and don’t forget to always add a dash of sass so you know that you’re compensating for real life scenarios because in the real world – there’s no such thing as a perfect day. You’re entitled to saying “Oh, dang it” if things go wrong but just be sure to keep your head up and hug yourself afterwards. Self love will make your not-so-perfect day into a nearly perfect day. 

Platonic love, also known as a friendship, is often hard to come by in this day and age because so many people turn their backs on one another or can’t be bothered getting to know someone to the core. Instead, they are very judgemental and more often than not – people get picked on because they’re different or simply because their personality is different than yours. Some other people walk into your life and stay there until the end…wanting to spend a day shopping with you, going out for a coffee or tea, discovering new places, going on adventures, or maybe just crafting at home or talking about life in general. It’s definitely nice to have someone to talk to or connect with that isn’t a family member because sometimes, we need that unbiased opinion or we need to see things from a completely different perspective and that’s okay. Although it seldom happens, it’s such a pleasant experience when you instantly click with someone and a lifelong friendship begins to blossom.

So, I wanted to add this one in here because there is a sense of love that one feels when helping others in need or when you’ve volunteered your time somewhere out in the community or anywhere in the world. You didn’t have to but you chose to out of the goodness of your heart. One small gesture can make a difference and oftentimes, that enables you to form a bond and maybe even a different kind of love too. See? You’ve got to start somewhere…one step at a time. Many people don’t realize how powerful community movements can be but if more people would chip in by providing their time and efforts (even as a one time deal), the world would be less divided, less cold and cruel, but more blessed. Planet earth would benefit from having more love poured into it rather than hate and that’s why lending a hand to make life more bearable is a rewarding path, an unforgettable journey, and the coolest destination. 

Love is evolving in the most beautiful way and I just hope humanity will learn from it…love is a force to be reckoned with. 

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Cassandra Di Lalla lives life purposefully. She enjoys reading, writing and mental health initiatives. She’s an animal lover for life and an innovative individual always finding new ways to create.