“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” CS. Lewis
I love this quote. It's quite possibly my favorite quote of all quotes out there. I've always viewed the word "vulnerable" as bad, something to avoid. When I saw it in the context that C.S. Lewis was talking about, I began to question if vulnerability is really all that bad.
To be vulnerable means you're putting yourself out there. Open. Transparent. Bare. It means you can hide behind nothing, subject to either acceptance or ridicule. Being vulnerable means you aren't in control of the situation and circumstances can easily change.
But isn't love like that?
How can you properly love people if you're so afraid of being disappointed that you never open up to them?
How can your love change lives if you're so afraid of getting hurt that you never take chances?
It can't.
We really do have only two choices when it comes to love. We can love with all our hearts, realizing that it might hurt, OR we can not love.
When we love someone, I mean, when we really love, our barriers come down as we offer everything we have to the other person. When we really love, we take the chance of getting hurt.
And sometimes love does hurt. But ultimately, love is about other people. If you love only so you can be loved, then how pure is your love?
I know it's scary to love at times, but the idea of avoiding love is much scarier to me.
I've just got to take that risk because I know love is worth it. I know other people are worth it. Love isn't about me --- it's about everyone else.
To be vulnerable means you're putting yourself out there. Open. Transparent. Bare. It means you can hide behind nothing, subject to either acceptance or ridicule. Being vulnerable means you aren't in control of the situation and circumstances can easily change.
But isn't love like that?
How can you properly love people if you're so afraid of being disappointed that you never open up to them?
How can your love change lives if you're so afraid of getting hurt that you never take chances?
It can't.
We really do have only two choices when it comes to love. We can love with all our hearts, realizing that it might hurt, OR we can not love.
When we love someone, I mean, when we really love, our barriers come down as we offer everything we have to the other person. When we really love, we take the chance of getting hurt.
And sometimes love does hurt. But ultimately, love is about other people. If you love only so you can be loved, then how pure is your love?
I know it's scary to love at times, but the idea of avoiding love is much scarier to me.
I've just got to take that risk because I know love is worth it. I know other people are worth it. Love isn't about me --- it's about everyone else.
absolutely true.
ReplyDeletep.s. millie likes your blog too. she talked the entire time i read it...she has opinions too :)
WoW!! Thats my new fav quote too girl!! Im loving this blog!!
ReplyDeleteLove is worth it! And I LOVE that pic! Choot 'Em!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the saying, It's better to have lost at love than never loved at all?
ReplyDeleteIt could be saying that. I put it on there because to me it represents vulnerability :)
ReplyDeleteC.S. Lewis knew what he was talking about :) Life is full or risks, but with risk comes reward and what better reward than love? I'm paraphrasing Ewan McGregor from Moulin Rouge, but I love the following line he sings, "The greatest thing you'll ever know is to love and to be loved in return."
ReplyDeleteGreat post :)
Great quote :) I am a HUGE Lewis fan!
ReplyDeleteSarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)