Thinking about Love on Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2013
Love stamps
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung, and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with your hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”
– C. S. Lewis, quoted in In Pursuit of Love: Catholic Morality and Human Sexuality by Vincent Genovesi
I love this reminder to keep my heart soft, vulnerable and open. Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 14, 2013 at 6:36 am
I’ve known this quotation foryears, but I’m not sure I realized it was C.S. Lewis. In any event, it’s truth-filled and perfect for the day. Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
February 14, 2013 at 8:17 am
“lock it up safe in …your selfishness.” powerful! thank you for sharing.
February 14, 2013 at 10:36 am
Well, I won’t ever have to worry about any of that…I’m one of those people that “wear my heart on my sleeve”, so they tell me!
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
February 15, 2013 at 6:06 am
It’s interesting what people can think about the same thing. This quote affirms to me, that if I depend upon things outside of myself to be happy and loved, my idea of love will shatter. If I keep my own house, that love will be what love is. Perfect ‘protection’ never moving, never cracking, never breaking. I believe that it each human’s job to be selfish about the self and to take care of the self, no one else is going to do it. Nothing will be lasting nor whole, nor all of what it is, unless it comes from that flame within the casket vessel of the self. I believe the inner flame is more noticing in that simple, the joys of the inanimate and the heat of that flame pour outward as love and as joy. Free, because it simply exists, not affected.
Thanks for this one. I like pondering.
February 15, 2013 at 8:33 am
And thank you for giving us more food for thought.