Love

Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.
- St. Francis of Assisi

You know you love someone when you know you want them to be happy,
even if their happiness means that you are not a part of it.
- Anonymous

Real love is never a selfish emotion. If you want something from someone - especially if that something is sex - what you are feeling is not true love. The wonderful anonymous quote above provides an infallible test for love. True love is about wanting happiness for the person you love - and not about seeking happiness for yourself. Fortunately, in most cases our own loving presence is the greatest gift we can give to a person we love. Nonetheless, the litmus test of love is knowing we would choose never to see that person again if we believed that distance would bring them greater happiness.