LOVE IS…

Love is the simple “good morning” email you receive from your best friends first thing in the morning. Love is a text random text message just saying hello. Love is the knowledge that while you are estranged from your own family, that there are friends who care enough about me to accept me exactly as I am. Love is having a family of choice to hold me up when my family of origin has seemingly turned their backs on me.

Love is the way my cat falls to the floor and rolls around and meows telling me about his day when I get home—and how my other cat feels the need to run to the food bowl to welcome me home.

Love is the memories shared by two old friends, and the moments that create new memories between new friends. Love is knowing that in both the new and old friendships there is a solace and peace.

Love is the song that lives in my heart, long after the music has faded. Love is the melody that flows from my fingers as they make their ways across the piano keyboard.

Love is the dream that on a not too distant tomorrow he’ll show up—somewhere out of the blue and sweep me off my feet, and I’ll know that he’s the one I’ve been waiting on.

Love is daring to accept myself as the beautiful, imperfect creature God created me to be. Love is daring to be true to those around me, to not hide the truth that I’m a gay man. Love is rejecting the pain others would inflict upon me because I am who I am. Love is standing up for myself.

And, above all, love is forgiveness—forgiveness for every idle word, for every hurtful thing, LOVE IS. Love is being the bigger person.

Here’s my confession: Love is a friendship so new and pure. Love is long established friendship with someone who knows everything there is to know about you and they still love you. Love is quiet, reverent and scared and love is also erotic, pure and the greatest command of all. Love is more than just a word--it's an action, a promise and a believe. Love is a mystery.