Whom Will You Love Today

Love always begins with the person closest to you. It does not begin with nameless and faceless people. It begins with those you sweat and struggle with--those who frequently disagree with you and put you down. That is why it is so hard. It is easier to love the world than your closest relative. The world is general. Your relative is specific. The world is vague. Your relative has character...Whom will you love today? ... It won't be easy. Love is never an option.
Jim Smoke

I really liked this quote. It goes along with a post from Liz Straus over at successful blog. She discussed the idea of being friends and sometimes not noticing little things from day to day and changes over time. She wondered that if you fail to notice these things can you call yourself a friend. I believe that not only can you call yourself a friend I think it somewhat natural that we do these things.

Those we are closest to are the ones we tend to hurt the most and the ones we take most for granted. They are the ones we let down the most. They are the ones we show our worst and often give them our worst. But, on the flip side, they also get our best. The nameless and faceless people will almost always get our courtesy and a kind word, but then we are off. We are off to share the rest of our lives, both the good and the bad, with those that we love the most.

At the end of the day I'll take those that love me. I'll trade all the kind gestures and sentiments to be with the ones whose character I know and trust. I'll take their company even if it is not warm and fuzzy or even if they are not on their best behavior. I'll take them with all their warts and wrinkles because they have taken me with mine. I am not saying that it is ok to behave in this fashion. I just know that it is a strange part of human nature.

Maybe the thing to do is to take some time to reflect on this matter. Maybe each of can learn to spread extra courtesy to those closest to us. Maybe we can take time to pay attention to specifics and learn more about our loved ones our friends and their character. Maybe we can take time to notice little things and changes in those close to us. If we do, then maybe our relationships can be a little richer as a reward.