Love Accounts

A stranger you were once.
Then, with a gentle look you took my hand.

As our lives engaged,
you lit my life and I held both your hands.

Now that decades have passed,
our souls have indeed become one.

How fortunate we are
that we have found the love so true
that everyone dreams about.

by Laura Veronica Merodio

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What is Love...Love... Love?

= Islam and Arab =

In a sense, love does encompass the Islamic view of life as universal brotherhood that applies to all who hold the faith. There are no direct references stating that God is love, but amongst the 99 names of God (Allah), there is the name Al-Wadud, or "the Loving One," which is found in Surah 11:90 as well as Surah 85:14. It refers to God as being "full of loving kindness." All who hold the faith have God's love, but to what degree or effort he has pleased God depends on the individual itself.

Ishq, or divine love, is the emphasis of Sufism. Sufis believe that love is a projection of the essence of God to the universe. God desires to recognize beauty, and as if one looks at a mirror to see oneself, God "looks" at itself within the dynamics of nature. Since everything is a reflection of God, the school of Sufism practices to see the beauty inside the apparently ugly.

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= Psychological Basis =

Psychology depicts love as a cognitive and social phenomenon. Psychologist Robert Sternberg formulated a triangular theory of love and argued that love has three different components: intimacy, commitment, and passion. Intimacy is a form in which two people share confidences and various details of their personal lives, and is usually shown in friendships and romantic love affairs. Commitment, on the other hand, is the expectation that the relationship is permanent. The last and most common form of love is sexual attraction and passion. Passionate love is shown in infatuation as well as romantic love. All forms of love are viewed as varying combinations of these three components. American psychologist Zick Rubin seeks to define love by psychometrics. His work states that three factors constitute love: attachment, caring, and intimacy.[11] [12]

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= Oxford Dictionary =

** to like somebody or something in the strongest possible way **

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Which of these define YOUR love?

This one defines MINE:)

"To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer. But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness."
- Woody Allen,

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love." - Sophocles

"Attention is the most basic form of love; through it we bless and are blessed." - John Tarrant

"Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing." - Goethe

"Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it...It really is worth fighting for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more." - Erica Jong

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How do we show our love?

= physically

= emotionally

= privately

= in any ways possible

= never

I always go all out for people I care and love. I am NEVER good with words to show my feelings or emotions or my likes or dislikes. I depend on people's good judgment after knowing me year after year whether I deserve to be loved or to be treated like rubbish.

I am not good in expressing my thoughts and I definitely will never purposely say anything or blurt out words just to hurt any family members feelings. I WAS NOT RAISED THAT WAY BY MY MOM!!!

And I will surely not start any argument or wash dirty linens in the public. I believe that there are two sides of every story and it is up to the intellectuals to listen to both sides. Ignore this, then the damage is done. (A reminder to myself.)

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These are some ways I connect with prince Ajan and princess Balqis. I really hope they know that they mean the world to me and I am willing to do almost anything to make them happy and secured.

Expressing love is paramount in our relationship with our children. Saying "I love you" is great. However, there are many ways to show them how full their "love account" is. Remember, if you don't tell your child how much you love them every day, you've wasted a day. Here are some ideas you can use:

I love you #1

Some of the first ideas were born with the birth of my "happy thought" - my son Ajan and my daughter Aqis. I started a love album with photos and love letters from me to her. From time to time, I see her going over them and reading, accessing my love.

I love you #2

I remember wanting to take a photo of every second of her life and me telling the kids "can you see my love in the photo? Dedicating an album to show your love is an asset to children. Make them an album.

I love you #3

Over the years, we came up with love songs, our own family love songs that we sing from time to time and every night before bedtime. Get creative or find a song you love expressing your feelings and sing it to them.

I love you #4

Lunch boxes are a great container of love. Put sticky notes full of love: hearts, kiss, encouraging words like "good luck on your test" or just plain, "I love you"

I love you #5

Dinner times are great opportunities to show love to each other. Play "what do you love about me?" games where every person needs to say two things he loves about the other family member. You start (be a role model).

I love you #6
Later in years, when the kids learned to touch type we started writing love emails to each other. Sometimes we sit next to each other, with different computers and write love to each other, funny, but written words you can keep for later.

I love you #7

A baking pan shaped like a heart can make kids really happy. It's the thought that counts anyway. It's easy to express your love by baking sweet, chocolaty, heart-shaped cakes for your kids.

I love you #8

Dedicate one evening a week to "my favourite food night". This night is dedicated to the kid's favourite food. If you have three kids, everyone gets to choose the meal once every 5 weeks (mum and dad get to choose too).

I love you #9

Touch is very important and is one of the best ways to communicate love. Remember: everyone needs 12 hugs a day, so make sure to give them all the hugs they need for a great feeling every day before bedtime.

I love you #10

Ask your children, "What can I do to make you feel loved?" You'll be surprised to hear what children have in mind. It is also wise to find out the value of every expression of love. Different kids like different things. You may be putting in a lot of effort to show love in one way when your child prefers other ways.

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So, Ajan and Aqis, if you are reading this,

REMEMBER,
When I am gone one day,
Enjoy your life,
Follow your heart,
But,
Take good care of your father,
Pray hard for me,
Follow the right path.



REMEMBER,
Whatever is yours is not yours,
Share with those in need,
Be a friend in deed.



REMEMBER,
Be extra careful with your choice of words,
Once uttered,
No way you can take them back,
They will be kept,
Deep inside the heart,
Erase them you can,
But forever the scars remain.


REMEMBER,
Whatever you hear,
Or fear,
Mama love you dear.