Inspired by Rush, J. (1984). The power of love [Song]. On Jennifer Rush. CBS Records.
Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash
The final part of our trilogy of articles on love (look out for potential future prequels and sequels a la Star Wars!) considers what we can learn about love from this power ballad by Jennifer Rush.
The song begins with a statement of how love is often powerful in its whispered morning understatement. There is a beautiful truth to this opening to the song which we can apply to our wellbeing well beyond the realms of romantic love. Often, it is the subtle acts and experiences which provide us with the most assurance and pleasure. The imagined whispers of sleep, a comfortable and understated experience, has a beauty beyond its physical act.
Yet as the song explores, this aspect of love and wellbeing is linked with the concept of hope. Hope that we will respond with a care and commitment that is perhaps beyond that which we have previously shown. As the other person reaches out for us we reciprocate giving our all.
Love also has a future quality which we have not yet experienced. It leads us on to places we have yet to explore and experience.
This has implications for us and others. We often have high expectations of love, from ourselves and others, but the truth is none of us have really loved to the degree we would like to experience love. The song recognises this and leaves us with a challenge for us to be ready to learn even when frightened.
If we commit to love others and ourselves with the kind of love which will transform our lives, it is going to be a frightening and vulnerable experience. We will need to learn to allow the subtleties of life to bring us joy and recognise that love will stretch us beyond our comfort zones. We can experience a greater depth of love, but it requires us to live a life characterised by a greater giving of love. Challenging, but when it comes to love, that is the sort of power of which we are talking.
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