There are many types of love, but it is a quiet kind of love that strengthens and sustains us. If there could only be but one type of love in this world, it should be this.
Ok, this post is about love, but a particular type of love. Definitely not the sappy kind that makes you roll your eyes. And not the reels of loud, in your face displays of romanticism that are as quick to fade as they were to go viral.
Let’s talk about the type of love that goes under the radar.
A quiet kind of love.
The precise kind I hope everyone has the opportunity to experience. This type of love is not limited solely to spouses or love interests. It can be between friends or caregivers or extended family or whatever other labels connect two people.
Now that we know its habitat, what precisely defines it?
Truth be told, it is a bit of a paradox. It understands without explanation. It knows that silence can carry more salve than a therapy session. It is a bond bound in empathy without judgment. It realizes all that you are and are not and remains steadfast. It values who you are without calculating worth.
It recognizes strength in times of weakness. It allows you to feel the cascade of emotion without fear of reproach. It lifts you up when your two feet desert you and the weight of your own head becomes too much to bear.
It is content to sit next to you, without words, as the day shifts to night and the night shifts to morn. It speaks volumes without a single utterance.
It is the only kind of love that will bring you back from the brink.
It is the only kind of love that helps you make peace with your past and find the first step forward, no matter how infinitesimal.
It is the only kind of love that sits unnoticed, on the sidelines, as other versions take starting positions on the field.
It is the only kind of love that can barrel past the hills and valleys, the earth-shattering nights and dizzying days, the darkest abyss and the blinding light.
You will not find it in a Hallmark movie or within the latest best-selling book. You will not find it in an Instagram feed or a YouTube short.
You will not find it when life is going uneventfully well or steady.
But it will find you. And while it may come from one you hold dear, perhaps it may come from a most unsuspecting source. It may come from one you barely know, but whose eyes hold a deep well of wisdom.
Whatever its source, it is a treasure, a blessing, something to hold on to.
Many types of love cover the surface of the earth.
But in the end, there is only one kind of love that matters.
A quiet kind of love.
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