The Many Forms of Unconditional Love

What is unconditional love? Webster’s New World Dictionary defines unconditional as without conditions or reservations; absolute. Most of us will admit we hope to find someone to love and who will love us back without conditions or reservations for the rest of our life. Usually, we are referring to a spouse or a significant life partner. We want the “happily ever after story.” As much as we hope and look for unconditional love, it is very hard to find. Yet the difficulty does not deter us from the quest. The search for unconditional love is so powerful that Valentine’s Day, has become one of the priciest holidays in the US. Those in love or seeking love are set to spend $20.7 billion this year for Valentine’s Day, says the National Retail Federation, beating the 2016 record of $19.7 billion.

Too often we think we have unconditional love, only to see it fade away. About 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce. If we are lucky, like I was marrying my wife Helen at age 62, we will find that special one who will love us unconditionally, enrich our lives and support us through life’s challenges.

Unconditional love is much more than finding that lifetime partner. It comes in many forms. I have written four books that address different types of unconditional love. In the book When the Wife Cheats, we find unconditional love between a father and his two young daughters. We follow their story as they struggle to pick up the pieces and try to survive the betrayal and abandonment when their wife/mother leaves the family. Unconditional love between a parent and children is a powerful bound that can bring a lifetime of joy.

The book Inside the Spaghetti Bowl is for every baby boomer with parents approaching their late 70s. It is a story of a family coming home for the funeral of a parent and discovering their history, traditions, culture, and curses. We see the unconditional love of an entire family who is there for each other no matter what occurs. Their unconditional love for each other helps them navigate the devastation of their loss and discover the richness of a heritage of love and commitment.

The book Five Years to Live shows the unconditional love of family and friends who provide the support group we all need to survive life’s tragic events. It starts with the phone call every person fears. There has been an accident and your loved one is paralyzed. Based on a true story, it will make you realize what can be accomplished when a person, supported by unconditional love, does not let circumstances dictate their life.

The book Storm Seeds is the sequel to Five Years to Live. This story follows the life of another patient who did not have a strong support system after her catastrophic injury. She did not believe she had nor needed unconditional love. The harder she tried to battle alone, the further her life sank into abject misery. We cannot handle tribulations alone. Unconditional love provides the fiber that enables us to bridge the dark places and events in life.

So back to the question, what is unconditional love? To me, it is the greatest force in the world. It provides unparalleled joy and happiness. It can give us the strength and courage we never thought we possessed. It is a guiding light that helps us to keep moving forward toward better times. Yes, it is hard to find, but it is worth all the effort and energy. My hope is you find and enjoy a life full of every form of unconditional love.