Love Eases Suffering

"Only love, with no thought of return, can soften the point of suffering." Mark Nepo

We have all heard the popular saying:  "Pain is inevitable.  Suffering is optional."  Perhaps Nepo has an answer to this:  approach life with love, and suffering is diminished.  As humans I think we can misunderstand love.  It is not the mushy stuff of romance novels.  Love is tough.  Love enables us to make hard decisions.  Love softens us as we allow it to flow in and from us.  For Christians, I think an image of love is when Jesus is tossing over the money tables in the temple.  Love does not stand for falsehood.  Love is strong enough to enable us to stand in the truth of what is right for us.  When we advocate for our loved one, we are acting out of love.  Let us support each other to  love -- in the true definition of that word.