Do you feel loved...

[Mikawa Ossan]

by your family? friends? significant other?

Do you not just know it, but FEEL it, too?

 

[Mars Man]

:romance: :win: Oh I feel good...like I knew I would....like a . . . well maybe that's how James Brown would have sung it.

I have some inner sensation of blooming flowers on the horizon, breezes of a summer beach, the playfulness of youthfilled dreams, hopes, and desires. What a good feeling.

Well, since love can be broken down into several realms, I'll do that.

agape The love of mankind, an admiration of the fellow being as well as, perhaps, by extension, all things in the universe. It is akin to, if not the very source of altruism. It is the higher love idea ascribed to by especially Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for their separate god-models.

This love I feel, and absorb from many of my students foremost, and then from immediate family members.

philias The love involving skinship; the care of brother and sister, parent and child, buddies and lovers. It involves the essence of human bonding and the psychologically upbuilding power of touch and caress closeness and oneness in soul. It is the necessary ingredient for the long-haul in parenting children and maintaining lovership between mates.

This love I have a great lack of as a recipient, although I feel some from a few of my students from time to time--the hand on the shoulder, the pat on my slightly starting to bulge stomach.

eros This love, occasionally misdescribed, is most reasonably that of the attracting force between and of the sexual elements. (please keep in mind that 'sexual elements' is due more so to hormonal matters and thus is not bound so simply to only outwardly male-female attractions.) This is largely the love responsible for species continuity, and is that which should never be allowed (by both parties conscientious activities) to erode too far between mates--in the present human society's general concept of marriage, that is.

This love I do feel at all.

Now, what a long post for such a short and simple question. Maybe this is simply because it's raining outside, huh? BUT more than that, the question makes me guess for things that good, positive, and hoped for, for those who may be falling in love, and really starting to feel it !!!

I hope not to rain on anyone's parade.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Deep inside.....

the only love I trust is from my animal friends.

Frank

 

[kirei_na_me]

I feel loved by my children. The love you get from little children is so pure and sweet and honest. I love the feeling mine give me and I hope I make them feel the same way.

I feel love from my mom, even though she has a terrible way of showing it sometimes. I feel love from my dad. I feel the regret and sadness he carries with him for not being with me enough when I was a child. He tries so hard to make up for it, and by him doing that, I finally feel that he loves me, when I wasn't so sure before.

I feel love from the "significant other" too. Because of the love I feel from him, I'm finally feeling what it's like to be in love with someone because I want (and can't help) to be in love, not because I feel I have to act like I'm in love.

 

[Tsuyoiko]

I do!

Small kindnesses, sacrifices and forgiveness are what makes me feel loved the most - when someone puts you first.

Since you don't choose your family, those relationships can be difficult sometimes. But I know I am loved because whatever disagreements we have are soon forgotten. My family always feel my pain and happiness even if they don't understand it, and they show it in small ways. When my hamster died, my dad buried him under a rosebush and made a grave marker from a small piece of slate. My sister will come to my house and check on my rabbit if there is a thunderstorm while I am at work. My mum wears the jewellery I have made her everywhere she goes and tells everyone where she got it, even if they don't ask

As Uncle Frank says, the most unconditional love is from pets. I know some people believe they don't really love you, but just know you feed them, but I don't believe that. My rabbit scratches at the bathroom door when I am in the bath, he falls over himself to come when he hears my voice, and when we are outside he always plays around my deckchair, no matter where I sit. He lets me do things that hurt him, like pull tangles out of his fur because he trusts me. I think animals are just like us only less complicated - they are different in degree, not in kind.

But the most obvious love of all is what I get from my husband. It is so obvious it's hard to say how I feel it - it's just there all the time. His friends tell me that whatever they talk about, he always says, "well, my wife says this". He puts me before everything - he misses out on important stuff at work because of me (long story). If I am ill he will stay up all night with me, even if he has work the next day, and even if I protest. He is always honest with me - he doesn't tell white lies to save my feelings because he knows I would rather have the truth. He will tell me that my bum looks big in this. I do the same for him. If we disagree, we don't go on some ego trip as to who is right, but we compromise because the relationship is more important than anything, whether it's principles, money, other people, whatever. That to me is true love, and I know I am very privileged to have found it.

 

[Davey]

I feel loved by my wife, even though she doesn't always expresses it, I know she loves me.

My family shows a lot of love to me, that sometimes makes me shy, in some way.

I am happy that people care about me! and have nothing to complain.. thank you Mika for this morning!

 

[DoctorP]

by your family? friends? significant other?
Do you not just know it, but FEEL it, too?

Only from my kids and my dog! (and maybe my turtle, but I can't really tell with him!)

 

[mad pierrot]

I love myself!

No, stop thinking with your dirty mind, I'm serious.


Yes, I feel love from others. (Family, friends, lovers.) But I also feel love for myself which is also important. By that I don't mean conceit. Being arrogant and self-centered is one thing; understanding who you are and being happy with yourself is another. I truly believe that before you can properly love someone else, you have to love yourself. How can I give my girlfriend all the love and attention she deserves if I can't even be happy with myself? Too many people I know suffer from low self-esteem which in turns affects their ability to share love with others.

 

[Elizabeth]

No, stop thinking with your dirty mind, I'm serious.
Yes, I feel love from others. (Family, friends, lovers.) But I also feel love for myself which is also important. By that I don't mean conceit. Being arrogant and self-centered is one thing; understanding who you are and being happy with yourself is another. I truly believe that before you can properly love someone else, you have to love yourself. How can I give my girlfriend all the love and attention she deserves if I can't even be happy with myself? Too many people I know suffer from low self-esteem which in turns affects their ability to share love with others.

I agree that any third force which prevents two people from putting each other first whether work, hobbies, family, low esteem, other relationships or whatever is going to end up causing problems. On the other hand, I've always heard even if they aren't able to give it, the feeling of love and support are critical for helping someone in trouble be able to even start to rebuild their life....not that I could ever be so unselfishly generous personally. :

I feel loved by my wife, even though she doesn't always expresses it, I know she loves me.

Echoed for me and my significant other. I can feel the sincerity so clearly through his actions and caring warmth in his voice words would only make us both freeze up even more.

@friends to some extent, family very not much at all....

 

[Carlson]

nope. im a sad man in those terms. dont talk to my family and its hard to have real friends. and as far as my gf. i know she loves me.

 

[Kinsao]

In a word, no.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

To answer my own question,

almost never.

I know that my family loves me, but we don't have very much contact, living so very far away.

Certainly not from my girlfriend.

My friends...I know they care, but it is only on rare occasions that I can truly feel it.

The last time I truly felt loved was when I last went to Osaka to visit someone special. I was so happy. I slept so well that night. Too bad we'll probably never meet again...

 

[Elizabeth]

Certainly not from my girlfriend.

I sincerely feel for you since it didn't 'click' romantically for me either for maybe 3 1/2, almost 4, years after meeting him....Some of the problem was that I wasn't ready and busy with my own things, but don't lose faith yet ! Hopefully as all the songs say, love is a circle and it will work out that the more you give the more will come back your way.

 

[mad pierrot]

Love thyself!

 

[nova]

I do feel it from my family because I know them quite well, even though the almost never show it and when they do is much more in a unpleasant way than rather in an apropiate manner [sighs].

But, most of my friends are definitely too self centered for that sort of love though they do appreciate me.

 

[Mars Man]

Just a point here: Elizabeth san, I do hope that the hopefull does happen, for Mikawa san, just as the songs say--only I yet never lose site of the fact that they are just songs, and poems written by those who were in love, or had had memories of having been in love. (and that means mostly eros)

Some deal with agape, but agape does not require either philas or eros. I hope for the balanced three in all of our relationships with that special person of the attracting sex. MM

 

[Elizabeth]

Just a point here: Elizabeth san, I do hope that the hopefull does happen, for Mikawa san, just as the songs say--only I yet never lose site of the fact that they are just songs, and poems written by those who were in love, or had had memories of having been in love. (and that means mostly eros)
Some deal with agape, but agape does not require either philas or eros. I hope for the balanced three in all of our relationships with that special person of the attracting sex. MM

Well, based on the above definations I'd have to say my romantic experience has been primarily philias based with some eros (a difficult feeling to
manufacture) only developing as the intimacy and liking has gotten stronger and more mutual. Japanese have a hard time with agape most of all, though, so right now I'll pretty much take whatever comes my way....

 

[Hideki_Matsui_Beast]

I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes

I feel a tremendous amount love from my significant other. She is the best woman in the world and does everything she can for me. She's all I think about when we're together or apart. Days away from her feel like months. I hope she feels the love from me as strongly as I feel it from her.

I feel love from my parents. They're kind of annoying at times, but they're good people who have raised me to be the HMB that I am today.

I feel love from a few of my friends. Many of them that I trusted turned out to be bigtime sellouts. With most of my friends, I feel my presence is appreciated but that's about it.

No kids yet, but they'll hopefully be here sooner rather than later!

 

[godppgo]

I know that my family loves me, but we don't have very much contact, living so very far away.

Distance can really dilute the family bond... My family members too are all over the world and the last time we were all together was about 4 years ago...

 

[Mars Man]

right now I'll pretty much take whatever comes my way....

I'm cheering for you !! I wish you the best too !!!!

 

[Tsuyoiko]

Mad P is right about self-love. In the past I was very self-effacing and shy. I would be attracted to a certain kind of guy, and it never occurred to me that I could do better. When I realised I deserved to be loved I was then open to meeting the kind of person who could love me. It didn't happen overnight though.

I have a friend who has mortally low self esteem. She is best friends with a guy who is madly in love with her. I know them both well and I know they would make each other happy. But she doesn't feel ready to be happy. I wish I could just flick a switch and make it possible, because he's not going to wait forever

 

[MajideSaiaku]

No, not particularily, i just have to remind myself its there, even if not always shown.

 

[Kara_Nari]

Hmm im not feeling much of that at the moment.. dont recall the last time I actually did either. Considering my family has never rung me (even when I lived in the same country as them)... I think its just a love that they are obliged to feel.
I get a crazy non meaningful babble of love related words everynow and then.... but its not something that I would take to heart or feel special by.
I dont have any animals at the moment....
Perhaps its because im not too giving in the 'I love you' department either...

 

[mad pierrot]

Love is the root of all evil.

 

[kirei_na_me]

I have a friend who has mortally low self esteem. She is best friends with a guy who is madly in love with her. I know them both well and I know they would make each other happy. But she doesn't feel ready to be happy. I wish I could just flick a switch and make it possible, because he's not going to wait forever

I wish she would go for it. Those are the best relationships, the ones that come from friendship.