A Simple Guide to Love
Written by Katie Tallo.
It’s in a laugh, a thought, a gesture, a word. It’s captured in this photograph of my daughter and mother. It lives between the folds of a birthday card or a touching comment left on a blog. It swims around my brain when I eat chocolate or watch a breeze shake the giant maple in my back yard. Love is all around us, inside us, everywhere.
Last night I went for a run with my husband. Bug clouds wafted in the cool air. The summer river was calm. The sky a dusky pink. As I ran, I called out to him. “What a beautiful night.” His answer, “Just like you, Kate.”
That’s love. That’s my Andy. He’s so free with love – with loving words and thoughts. He feels it and says it. He’s fearless. It doesn’t come as easily to me to simply and effortlessly express love. But I’m learning.
This is my simple guide to love.
love loud
… say what you feel, hug when you feel like hugging, write poetry if you hear it in your heart … be unafraid, unembarrassed, unabashed …
love easy
… ask for nothing, let go drama, jealousy, envy … release, respect, be calm, solid, relaxed, uncomplicated …
love deep
… hold your love good and tight, make it a priority, choose it over others, believe in it, whether a person or passion, spend time with it, care for it, tend to its needs, and love it deeply and endlessly …
My love for my daughter, husband, mother, sister, friends, work, blog, home – for possibility, difference, risk and change – all of this love I’m learning to be loud, easy and deep with. It’s all that really matters.
My husband and I continued our run through the woods along the river. I felt like I was floating through the dimming light and past the clouds of bugs. Even when I got a bug in my eye and we had to stop, love surrounded me. Andy stopped, waited, tried to help, and when I got the bug out, asked if I was all better. I wiped my watery eye and we continued our run side by side – our love unhurried, kind and constant. Yes, I’m learning to just run with it.
50 Responses to “A Simple Guide to Love”
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Katie,
Love is…opening our heart up (in whatever way that means for us). And isn’t it so awesome – LOVE can come in the embrace of a child (like your daughter), or a sweaty run along the river! And a myriad of ways in between and beyond. (…if we more fully open up to that voice that’s in our heart…)
And you know…I find this place here that you have created…to be one that is very much love-filled (and that’s YOU…sharing your love openly and with deep care…). Pretty sweet…and all sorts of awesome…
Hi Katie,
I followed Lance to get here. It’s beautiful. Love and peace to you and family. Thanks for sharing, Simon.
Like Simon, I followed Lance to get here. You gotta watch that Lance character..he’s like a cat that keeps bringing “presents” and leaving them on your doorstep.
This is a simply beautiful post. I’m a big fan of love, and it’s nice to see such a simple, yet powerful guide to doing it the right way. Thank you for sharing your insight, and for spreading the love.
Thank you for this beautiful post Katie (I followed Jay here
) Poetic and beautifully put.
Jen
All Andys (how on earth do you spell plural of Andy!) are angels! Mine would say the exact same thing without a second thought and so as a matter of factly that I just get weak in the knees even though I have heard it a thousand times.
Thank you for writing about LOVE, my favorite topic, feeling, and emotion……And in your words, love swims and shines and makes all of us feel special.
By the way, is Alex wearing Mommy’s pearls in that picture? Is that what all little girls do? SO CUTE!!
This post says it all – love loudly, love simply… At some point I learned to not hide my feelings but let them out – and I learned that love was a give requiring nothing in return. Just give, just feel, just share… and do run with it!!
See- this is what I love about you Katie. Your posts are like poetry! Thank you.
@Lance, what a “sweet and awesome” comment and how lovely of you to spread the post to these great guys. Momentum Gathering needs a bit more masculine energy. Thanks for the infusion.
@Simon, I’m really glad Lance guided you in my direction. Love and peace to you and yours as well.
@Jay, so are you and Simon the half-chewed mice that Lance has left on my blog-step? I do like presents. You three guys have given me the lovely gift today of chewing on, tossing around, sharing and visiting my post. Much appreciated … I think.
@Jen, hey you followed the trail of men … well done. Thanks for visiting. I’m glad you enjoyed my words.
@Farnoosh, We are lucky women to have our Andys. Those are grandma’s pearls. She was always dressing her up back then. Very cute indeed. Her smiling little teeth are the most adorable things on the planet!
@The Exception, you’re lucky you’ve learned such a great lesson in life. How good it must feel to have such freedom. I’m happy for you.
@Angela, sweetness as always. Thank you again and again.
What a beautiful, poetic post! I could feel love coming through…
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Cristina, I felt it too when I was writing so I’m glad that in turn resonates out to lovely people like yourself. By the way, it’s great to have you on The Daily Brainstorm.
Beautiful post. I love how the activity of running is an analogy for so many things in life.
Thanks Rachel. I’m a big fan of analogies of all kinds, but running analogies say it all.
I seriously LOVE this post! – beautiful, poetic & inspiring!
I happily laughed about the bug in the eye incident – oh the joys of running outdoors and through bug clouds. I’ve had plenty of bugs have a fatal crash into my eyes and down my throat, poor bugs.
Aileen, you’re such a supportive, lovely friend. Maybe one day we can run together and get bugs in our eyes — okay, forget the bugs and let’s just enjoy the run. I love how you sympathize with the bugs — I just wanted the darn thing dead — it was in my eye after all.
A beautiful, sweet post. I feel like that about my life and people, too.
Meg, I think we have a lot in common. I enjoyed hearing more about your journey on Goodlife Zen. Thanks for your always supportive and sweet comments.
awesome post! much needed for my grieving heart right now. thanks for sharing!
Glad I could help Misty. Be well and take care of you. Much love, Katie
katie,
so very beautiful… you made me rethink the bike ride i took on the trail with my husband tonight… and for that i thank you!!
xxo, kim
Ahhh, romance is all in how we see things, isn’t it? Here’s to many more loving bike rides, Kim.
Hi Katie, what a lovely post and what a loving husband:-) Love is quiet and it doesn’t need obvious demonstration. Sometimes, it is in the way someone thinks about you or goes out of the way to make you comfortable. I’m the expressive, demonstrative, loud sorts while the husband is the opposite and now I’m learning to appreciate the easy type of love as well.
Thank you for sharing this..
Hi Prerna, I think as women we have expectations built up by Hollywood and novels that love is dramatic and intense, but that kind of lust can be like a drug. I prefer to find love and drama — like you say — in the quiet loving moments of my life. My heart sings just as loudly in those moments. Thanks for commenting Prerna. It’s always great to hear your ideas and learn a little more about your life.
I love this so much, I love this so much. And I really, really needed it today. Thank you, Katie.
Thank you so much, thank you so much. I’m happy to have found a way to brighten your day. Much love to you Turid.
Katie, for me, you have captured the spirit of love perfectly. Love can be given, and received, in simple ways – and it’s in these ways that Love is best honored and celebrated.
Thanks for sharing a moment from your live that represents this spirit!
Alex
Thank you Alex for seeing such a spirit in this post. Your picture says to me, that you experience this loving spirit in your life. I’m very happy for you.
Indeed Katie! Mary Beth and I recently celebrated our 25th anniversary. I wrote the following to honor this day and our love for each other – hope you enjoy it, too:
http://www.thebridgemaker.com/love-as-graceful-as-rain/
Your post is truly beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Kate,
I used to believe that love wasn’t everywhere. Its there when the sun shines down on me. Its there when I look up at the blue sky and only see possibility. Its there in the beautiful old people trying to get by. Its there in the confident young pretty women walking by. Its there when my husband and I hold hands. Its there when we speak to other people, the smile that others give you & you give them, in the way we try to live everyday…And I could keep going on and on and on.
Carolina, your thoughts on love are very touching. Simplicity, difference, words and deeds, you’ve captured it all so wonderfully. Thank you for sharing.
I love the adorable photo and Andy we’re giving him a blog of his own…guess what the topic is going to be? Love! Are you ready Andy?
The only thing I would add is love everything, everyone and love often. You’re giving us all a chance to remember to do just that.
My hubs is like Andy, I’m more like you and everday moment of the day I’m willing to be a bit more open. I think won’t quit until I die;) Hey that’s good I’ll die open to love;)
Well Tess, my darling husband types about 3 words a minute so I think blogging is out. He’ll just have to be my muse — he is rather amusing at times. Your add-ons are great – “love everything, everyone, and love often”.
Katie, all these posts where you mention running make me want to run again and fly like the wind over woodland paths and up and down dales. I think I’ve got the love thing covered, the exercise is something I’m working on. Great post. I love how you kept it so simple.
Alison, I hope you get back to running. There must be some dales near your place. If exercise is the only thing you don’t have covered, you’re way ahead of most people. Well done in the love department.
Katie,
This post gave me chill bumps. It is simply elegant in description and message. You and Andy have something special.
Barrie, I aim to chill. As for me and the hubbie, yes, we are lucky. I know this and am thankful for it every day. He puts up with a lot of crap.
Absolutely beautiful Katie! May your life always be an expression of love.
Manal, I feel like we haven’t talked in ages. I must visit http://www.onewithnow.com
Thank you for the lovely comment. I hope your life is an expression of love as well.
Hi Katie,
love is simple and we make it complicated! Beautiful and poetic post, a reminder of the simplicity of love, in everything, for everything and for everyone.
Thank you for sharing this loverly experience!
Paola
So glad you enjoyed the post, Paola. I don’t know if it was a typo, but I simply love your use of the word “loverly”. Now, that’s poetic.
Hi Katie,
I can Loudly say, easily share and deeply feel that it is a lovely post.
I loved the way you gave such a simple guide to love, which often people find it difficult.
Thanks a lot for sharing such great thoughts about love.
Thank you Sangita for your thoughtful comment. I’m sorry I missed it back in September. Much love to you.
I’m finding this many months after it’s been written. But it’s just what I needed to read today. I feel really down about my life in this moment, but I am surrounded by love. And this post reminded me that that’s all we really need.
Thank you times a million and much love to you and yours.
Lindsay, I’m sorry you’re feeling down. Love does help, but don’t forget to love yourself, be kind to you, be your own friend. Sometimes we love others but don’t give ourselves a break. I’m glad you found some inspiration and light in this post. Much love to you, dear Lindsay and thanks for looking around. I appreciate it and if I can help in some way, let me know. xo
Beautiful ~
Thank you for this so sweet and simple guide which holds so much truth…I am sending this on to every person I love. And especially to the new man in my life who is seeking this even though he does not yet know it for sure; divorce and strife have held it away from him. I will be constant and kind. Thanks so much for sharing.
Carol, it warms my heart to know you’ll be sharing this post with those you love and that you have taken away from it a way to expand an already loving heart. That’s the whole idea. Thank you and much love to you.