On the Sixth Day of Thanksgiving I am thankful for:
The ability to love and to be loved. When I say love, I don't necessarily mean romantic love. Just love in the pure sense of the word. To better define what I mean, I went to this site which gives the following explanation within the definition of love:
"Love, affection, devotion all mean a deep and enduring emotional regard, usually for another person. Love may apply to various kinds of regard: the charity of the Creator, reverent adoration toward God or toward a person, the relation of parent and child, the regard of friends for each other, romantic feelings for another person, etc. Affection is a fondness for others that is enduring and tender, but calm. Devotion is an intense love and steadfast, enduring loyalty to a person; it may also imply consecration to a cause."
I have known people who simply cannot feel nor allow love in their hearts. Whether it was due to an abusive situation, a tragedy or bad experiences with love, they simply can not love anyone nor allow others to love them. I think this is a true tragedy. There are many people in this world I can say that I truly love and mean it with all of my heart. There are also people that I know love me and I feel a safety in that love. How sad that must be to not know love for others, of their love for you, or even love of self.
I'm thankful I was brought up in a home where love was expressed often and freely. We were encouraged to express it and shown it by example. I saw love every day of my life when watching my parents. I saw possibly the most intimate, pure expression of love I will ever see when I watched my Dad on his death bed give my Mom a priesthood blessing, told her he loved her, and then kissed her tenderly. That was a moment I will never forget because it showed me what true love really means.
I am thankful for a husband who tells me and shows me he loves me every day. I've never been left to wonder how he felt about me since the day we met. I'm also thankful I can freely show my love to him without fear of teasing or a feeling of insecurity. I love that he also shows expressions of love to our unborn daughter. It melts my heart to see how much he already loves her.
I am thankful for family and friends whom I love dearly and know love me. Whether near or far, it doesn't matter. We remain close and constant in the loyalty of that friendship. I feel truly blessed.
Lastly, I am thankful for the love of my Savior and my Heavenly Father. They love us all and have shown us perfect examples of how we should love each other. There is a scripture that is my absolute favorite that so perfectly defines love, why we should do it, how it should be expressed and how it can bless our lives. It is 1 John 4:7-19, which reads:
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
"No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
I am so thankful to them and to all of you. I love you all!
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