According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. However, fearing their powers, Zeus split them into two separate beings, leaving them to spend the rest of their lives in search of each other.
I think there are so many songs about love because it is so open to interpretation and so vague.
As I visited last week, there is no way that there can only be one love.
Probability
First of all, some languages have multiple words for love. As many know, Greek has four (Philos, Eros, Agape, Stergo), plus multiple word combinations like Agapetos (beloved or loved one) all the way to Philadelphia (brotherly love). As if that isn’t impressive, Ancient Persian has 80. To take it a step further, Sanskrit has 96 words for love.
Side note: I also just learned that the Eskimo language has over thirty words for snow.
“English, only one. This is indicative of the poverty of awareness or emphasis that we give to that tremendously important realm of feeling.. An Eskimo probably would die of clumsiness if he had only one word for snow; we are close to dying of loneliness because we have only one word for love. Of all the Western languages, English may be the most lacking when it comes to feeling.” – Robert Johnson
Language is indicative of culture, who can blame people who suffer from narrow-mindedness if their language doesn’t allow them to explore a concept without words to describe it?
The red string of fate, an idea originating from Chinese legend, was tied around the ankles of those that are destined to meet one another. The two people connected by this red thread are destined lovers — the cord may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.
Beyond language barriers, what about land? If there were one opportunity for love for each person, who’s to say that the two will speak the same language? Or be in the same country? Or that they’d be in the same place at the same time? What if…
To bring it back to what I wrote last week, love is not just reserved for one person to be given to one other. In a world filled with 7 billion people, the idea that you have to search for effortlessly in the vain attempt to keep yourself from a fate of loneliness, is ridiculous.
I tell my parents that I love them.
I let my brother how much I appreciate him.
I explain to my best friends how important they are to me.
I express my affection for Shane.
I speak the truth.
According to Old Testament scriptures, each person has been given a romantic partner — called a bashert, a lifelong connection. It is said that 40 days before a man is born, God calls out the name of man’s soul mate; it’s a match literally made in heaven.
A person has multiple soul mates — it’d be impossible not to — meant to come in and out of his or her life over the years; these soul mates can be both romantic and platonic. Each soul mate serves a purpose, and once that purpose is served, the two go their separate ways, just a brief intersection on the infinite plane of life.
I don’t believe that I was born with four arms and four legs, that I have a string attached to me, or that God called my name to a man before he was born (sexist much?). I believe I have a plethora of soul mates, people that the universe destined for me to cross paths and form connections with, people who will teach me about the world and, most importantly, myself.