Love is perhaps the most profound of all human experiences. It reveals to us both our deepest joy and our deepest vulnerability. To love is to open oneself to the possibility of loss, disappointment, and change — and yet, it is through love that we feel most fully alive.

Many think of love as an emotion, something we fall into or out of. But love is also an act, a choice we make each day to show up for another person, to see them fully, and to allow ourselves to be seen in return.

In my work, I have found that what people long for most is not simply to be loved, but to be known — to have their true self recognized and accepted without condition. Martin Buber described this as the I-Thou relationship: a meeting of two whole beings, without pretense or utility, in genuine presence.

This kind of love is not without pain. In fact, the risk of loss and the inevitability of impermanence deepen love’s poignancy. As we open our hearts, we become aware that nothing and no one can be held forever. Yet rather than making love futile, this awareness invites us to cherish each moment more fully.

To love is to say: I see you, I choose you, and I am willing to walk beside you, even knowing that nothing lasts forever.

May you have the courage to love bravely and to receive love with openness. May your relationships become sanctuaries where you can grow, heal, and find meaning. And may you discover that, in giving yourself fully to love, you also find yourself.