There are so many breathtakingly beautiful things in life we all share.  There are Mother Nature's offerings-- immense oceans teeming with life, majestic mountains, serene forests, rolling meadows with flowered blankets, pristine desert landscapes, the shimmering moon and stars at night, glorious sunrises and stunning sunsets.  Then, there are shared manmade wonders-- beautiful and inspiring art, music for every taste and whim, incredible architectural feats, every manner of story shared theatrically to inspire, thrill, amuse. We don't own  these things; we simply love them, appreciate them, enjoy them.

Let a human being fall deeply in love with another human being, however, and the desire to have  them, to be with them always and thus, in a manner of speaking, own  them becomes so strong we are absolutely miserable if, for some reason, that cannot be.  It is not until one becomes wiser and can fully appreciate the folly of desiring to own what cannot ever be owned-- the heart and soul of another human being-- that a realization sinks in.  The capacity for such deep love is it's own  gift, probably the greatest gift of all.  Great, true love deepens us, increases our ability to love across the board, breaks us open, makes us engaged, empathic members of the human race -- vulnerable to it's pain and suffering, to be sure, but more attuned to the rythmn of life and completely fascinated by the mezmerizing, wonder-filled mystery that is human love.