A friend is working on a project and has been asking for personal thoughts and stories on the expressions of love. So this is what I "scribbled" out when I needed a respite in the middle of a lecture.


Love is a many-splendored thing. That's an oft-quoted quote bordering on cliche. But it's so true. Because the more I learn of love, the more I realize it's more colorful than a rainbow, more multi-faceted than a diamond, more fluid than water, more sustainable than food. And because of the beautiful intricacies of love, it means and is expressed different ways to different people.

One way I see love expressed is in a good conversation over a scrumptious slice of cake and a steaming cup of coffee. But it's not in the talking that I see it (nor is it in the food). It's in the listening. By that, I don't mean the polite lending of an ear, but a complete engagement of mind and heart to focus on the other. If a person listens to you, it means that he or she is willing to set aside his/her time, opinions, and personal troubles for yours. Listening is a quiet but powerful way to express self-sacrificial love.

The second expression I treasure is physical affections. I grew up in a home filled with many hugs and many more kisses. Again, it's a quiet but powerful expression. I'm an introvert, and there are many times when I struggle with sharing what's really on my heart. Sometimes, I myself don't understand what's going on inside. Nonetheless I can get lonely, and long for that simple assurance that someone is there for me. So a home-scented hug, a cuddle, a squeeze of the hand, a happy peck on the cheek gives me enough of that assurance, of a sense of solidarity with others.

I will always welcome a hug and appreciate the person willing to listen to me as I struggle with verbatim. And I do forget periodically, but I try to express my care in the same way. But these aren't the only ways of expression, of course. They're just two little colors, two facets, two streams, or two ingredients of that many-splendored thing called love.