“For Human Beings, love is the most important fruit of experience in the sense world. Once we really understand the nature of love, or compassion, we will find that love is the way spirit expresses its truth in the world of the senses. We may even say that, in love, the spiritual world awakens in the physical.” – Rudolf Steiner
Getting older is tough enough, but getting older without love in your life is downright depressing.
We’ve been told that to attract love we must love ourselves first. As we get older and start to see changes in ourselves and those around us, we begin to experience the sense of loss. We start to feel the need for increased companionship and love.
When we leave a career or business, having had many interactions on a daily basis, we often miss that human contact. Unfortunately, at this age we not only lose connections with business colleagues, we often lose family and friends to relocation and death. It seems like those we love are slowly slipping away. We are no longer wanted or needed.
“If I could have one lifetime wish, one wish that would come true, I’d pray to God with all my heart, for yesterday…and you!” – Unknown
Having a large family with spouse, or significant other, siblings and grandkids, plus long time friends may be enough for some. But if we don’t have that or it’s not enough, the mind and the soul start to seek new connections.
What is it we are looking for at this stage of life? Speaking for myself I know I want both independence AND connections. I have no blood relatives within 1,000 miles, but I can virtually stay connected to my sister in Texas. We have become emotionally closer as the years passed, perhaps more so since we are both alone. I find that reaffirming old family relationships and long standing friendships provides part of the connection I seek.
While I’m very happy living alone I do want to love and be loved. For me that means being appreciated and accepted for who I am; the TOTAL me. I do believe I’ve become less judgmental in my later years. I can love others despite their imperfections. Isn’t that what we all want; unconditional love. In return my circle of love has grown and I feel very well loved.
“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” – Marilyn Monroe
For some romantic love is either being rekindled or even found for the first time in their lives. I have a friend near my age who says her eyes and her heart have been opened by finding the love of her life. She never has felt love as strongly as she does today. She finds great pleasure in being able to say “I love you”, to hear it in return, and to experience it as a reality.
Give yourself the gift of love. Love and be loved. It’s now or never.