Unconditional love

Unconditional love. Now that's an expression found on greeting cards and trinkets in souvenir shops around the world. It sounds great and makes the purveyor sound noble, but has anyone actually read the terms and conditions of "Unconditional Love"? You see, each section of law has its own set of definitions to be used in the context of the section. It harkens to what the definition of "is" is.

As best I can make out, unconditional love is that which one gives to oneself. Temporary, conditional and limited use love is what is offered to others. One of the first clues to this being true should be when it is is discovered that she (or he) is still undergoing couples therapy with the "ex" though purporting to offer "Unconditional Love" to you. This may seem obvious to most, but you'd be surprised to learn who missed that particular signal. Or maybe not.

These thoughts are provoked by the sudden re-appearance of the désespérée in the hotel lobby. True, she has shaved her head and was all but unrecognizable, but it was she. I had a momentary pang of longing for her; it didn't last, needless to say. But it was comforting to be able to recall that every word she uttered could be believed utterly. How nice that was!