Girl: *thinks to herself* I am the luckiest girl alive to have such a guy. He loves me to bits, despite my imperfections.
At a corner, two other girls gossipping over cups of coffee watches the above girl (slightly heavy, pleasant-faced rather than strikingly pretty) with a hunk (tall, dark and handsome, the works). They bend low and the following conversation develops.
Girl A: OH. MY. GOODNESS... Total babe at your nine o'clock.
Girl B: *turns around* *starts to hyperventilate* *fans self* He is so totally drop-dead gorgeous. What is that pudgy thing doing walking arm-in-arm with him?
Girl A: Are you blind? Isn't it obvious? She is his girlfriend, of course. My heart is crushed to a thousand bits and pieces. *clutches heart and moans loudly*
Girl B: That guy has got issues. Can't he see that there are more desirable women in the world? Heck, even the back of my heels look better than her. Plus, that arm of hers? It's the size of my thighs, both glued together.
Girl A: *sighs dramatically* Love is blind...
---------------
Sound all too familiar? I am convinced, 'Love is blind' is a catchall phrase, used so often that its meaning has been degraded and tarnished.
Where I am concerned, there is no such thing.
There is, however, choosing to love blindly (read: Choosing).
To throw in another recommendation, I think I have a better, more appropriate phrase for the above scenario, it is called choosing to love unconditionally.
One too many times, we equate loving blindly to loving unconditionally. Or, I believe that most are just unaware of the existence of the latter.
Point to highlight here is, the illustration (For the record, I do not speak like that. I find it most improper, and bimbotic to converse in such a manner.) was to emphasise and make a distinguishment, between loving blindly and loving unconditionally.
To love unconditionally is to love someone for who he/she is on the inside, loving them for the very core of their soul, beyond physical attractions and worldly possessions. To love unconditionally is to love with reckless abandon, forsaking your own wants and making your loved one's desires your own. To love unconditionally is to want to spend your days with that person because you know in your heart, you have met your other half. That person who brings out the best in you, the person who goes through the roughest waves of life with you and emerges through it soaked wet and drained, but still clenching your hand in his.
Ultimately, it is the person whom God has ordained for you, and you know it.
Contrary to popular belief (or rather, misinformation), to love unconditionally is not to overlook flaws, to ensconce in a fantasy bubble of happily-ever-after, two perfect kids, a perfect cat and dog with Prince Charming.
In loving unconditionally, it is to realise that to love a person is to love him/her as a whole; not ignoring the bad, but embracing the good.
I was with someone who loved me on days where I was flying on a foul mood, days where I had a huge pimple sticking out (from my already pepperoni pizza-like face), days before I discovered the magical powers of a good foundation and concealer, days before I discovered the Holy Grail of make-up items: the MASCARA, days where a huge argument would ensue and I would give him the cold treatment for days, days when I would don the most hideous or plain clothes.
He loved me not only on the good days, he loved me even more so on the not-so-good days.
That, is not blind love my Dear Readers, it is unconditional love.
Whereas, to love blindly is to be carried in a faraway fantasy of a bed of roses relationship, where only fun and fun alone is welcomed. Anything else would be considered vile. To love blindly is to love without wanting any ties of commitment. To love blindly is loving for temporal purposes such as companionship and once the novelty wears off, the search for another takes place. To love blindly is to be immersed in infatuation. To love blindly is to place yourself on intended jeopardy, at the expense of your career, family or hurting the other party (and yourself) as the aftermath. (Note: This is disparate, worlds apart from fighting for what you believe in. I would explain it in another piece.)
While loving blindly, the mind's default mode would be on cloud nine, where everything would just seem like (to borrow from Powerpuff Girls) sugar, spice and everything nice.
The moment reality hits and it usually hits hard, your divorce lawyers are the happiest people alive, and the shoulder (and ears) of your faithful friend lent to cry on (the one you have deserted, while being so engrossed playing house or model future daughter-in-law) becomes your most treasured belonging.
I think the biggest difference between blind love and unconditional love is this: Blind love offers fleeting joy and comfort, unconditional love offers both joy and comfort, assurance and most importantly, security (Not in monetary terms, but more valuably, emotional terms.) for a lifetime.
There is, however, choosing to love blindly (read: Choosing).
To throw in another recommendation, I think I have a better, more appropriate phrase for the above scenario, it is called choosing to love unconditionally.
One too many times, we equate loving blindly to loving unconditionally. Or, I believe that most are just unaware of the existence of the latter.
Point to highlight here is, the illustration (For the record, I do not speak like that. I find it most improper, and bimbotic to converse in such a manner.) was to emphasise and make a distinguishment, between loving blindly and loving unconditionally.
To love unconditionally is to love someone for who he/she is on the inside, loving them for the very core of their soul, beyond physical attractions and worldly possessions. To love unconditionally is to love with reckless abandon, forsaking your own wants and making your loved one's desires your own. To love unconditionally is to want to spend your days with that person because you know in your heart, you have met your other half. That person who brings out the best in you, the person who goes through the roughest waves of life with you and emerges through it soaked wet and drained, but still clenching your hand in his.
Ultimately, it is the person whom God has ordained for you, and you know it.
Contrary to popular belief (or rather, misinformation), to love unconditionally is not to overlook flaws, to ensconce in a fantasy bubble of happily-ever-after, two perfect kids, a perfect cat and dog with Prince Charming.
In loving unconditionally, it is to realise that to love a person is to love him/her as a whole; not ignoring the bad, but embracing the good.
I was with someone who loved me on days where I was flying on a foul mood, days where I had a huge pimple sticking out (from my already pepperoni pizza-like face), days before I discovered the magical powers of a good foundation and concealer, days before I discovered the Holy Grail of make-up items: the MASCARA, days where a huge argument would ensue and I would give him the cold treatment for days, days when I would don the most hideous or plain clothes.
He loved me not only on the good days, he loved me even more so on the not-so-good days.
That, is not blind love my Dear Readers, it is unconditional love.
Whereas, to love blindly is to be carried in a faraway fantasy of a bed of roses relationship, where only fun and fun alone is welcomed. Anything else would be considered vile. To love blindly is to love without wanting any ties of commitment. To love blindly is loving for temporal purposes such as companionship and once the novelty wears off, the search for another takes place. To love blindly is to be immersed in infatuation. To love blindly is to place yourself on intended jeopardy, at the expense of your career, family or hurting the other party (and yourself) as the aftermath. (Note: This is disparate, worlds apart from fighting for what you believe in. I would explain it in another piece.)
While loving blindly, the mind's default mode would be on cloud nine, where everything would just seem like (to borrow from Powerpuff Girls) sugar, spice and everything nice.
The moment reality hits and it usually hits hard, your divorce lawyers are the happiest people alive, and the shoulder (and ears) of your faithful friend lent to cry on (the one you have deserted, while being so engrossed playing house or model future daughter-in-law) becomes your most treasured belonging.
I think the biggest difference between blind love and unconditional love is this: Blind love offers fleeting joy and comfort, unconditional love offers both joy and comfort, assurance and most importantly, security (Not in monetary terms, but more valuably, emotional terms.) for a lifetime.
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