January 2022

An Essay on Unconditional Love

By: Yvonne Richard Sanchez

We experience many changes in our lifetime; and among these are occasions that emphasize the absence of a loved one. It may be a wedding, an anniversary, a birthday, a holiday or any special day you have created together. We may begin to feel the pain and sometimes even anger at being alone, simply because we miss them. But if you have known true love, shared the joys of life and come to appreciate all you have endured treating both good and bad as simple lessons of endurance you can consider yourself blessed.

Having known the love of someone, who could turn a deaf ear to unfounded remarks; someone who shared your right to believe and dream and worked hard to help make those dreams a reality; someone when in their embrace, seemed to shut out the world and all of its ugliness and allowed you to feel the warmth of the sunshine on your face; someone who may have made you angry at times yet, never angry enough to regret your choice of them as your mate or the parent of your children; someone whose smile would light up a room and even when surrounded by many made you feel truly welcome in their midst, that is proof positive that you have known unconditional love.

So when you feel lonely and tears begin to flow, know that your loved one is still there with you because love does not diminish with absence, instead it grows stronger. They have simply stepped into another realm of existence, one that allows them to be beside you always. When you feel a gentle breeze on your face; or experience an unexplained chill that causes you to shudder; or you suddenly recall words or a phrase that were once spoken by them; something that helped you understand and come to terms with life as it is unfolding around you, it’s simply their way of letting you know that they are with you. They will live on within your children for generations yet to come. Through those children, you are blessed to see your loved one’s face, look into their eyes, hear their laughter, recreate a memory and feel their warm embrace and experience love in its’ purest form.

Miss their physical presence if you must but thank God for granting you the time to create lasting and loving memories with those you love. We are all on loan from God so when our time comes to leave those around us, let us leave them with the knowledge that they too will someday recall the memories you have created with them and instead of feeling sorrow, may God allow our loved ones to feel comfort and at peace with our departure and themselves.

Yvonne Richard-Sanchez