Love’s capacity March 15, 2010

How much love do you have to give?

She Is Love by Parachute (A favorite!)

When you were little did you ever play that game with someone, they’d ask ‘How much do you love me’? and then you would try and reach your arms as far as they would go in opposite directions. Implying that the space between your two arms was equivalent to the love you felt for them. Although in reality your love couldn’t even compare.

I remember playing that game, ages ago. Even now I think I play, even though I don’t do the physical gestures to show it. That’s one of the problems I am trying to deal with when it comes to love. And I am not just talking about the boyfriend-girlfriend type of love. I mean the love that surrounds you everyday. Sometimes I get so down, and upset. I feel as if I put so much love into the people around me, and when I don’t always get the equal amount back I question myself, Why am I stretching my arms out so much to the point of pain to show how much I love, when I get just a pinch back in return? I mean I am not saying that this happens all the time. I just mean sometimes I go out of my way to let someone know how much he or she means to me, and then when they don’t even acknowledge it, my heart cracks a bit. I used to think this was just me getting taken advantage of, but then I read this blog with this quote, and it made me look at things differently.

It said: “Pretend your capacity for love is a beaker (like the ones you used in science class.) The water you pour into the beaker is the love you feel for a special someone. You may have a 500 mL beaker while he/she has a 250 mL beaker. Both are filled to the brim with water, holding (giving) all they can, but your beaker just happens to contain more water, simply because its capacity is much greater. As such, you have more love to give and you likely need more love to feel fulfilled.-”

Maybe that is true. Maybe my capacity to love is just greater then some, and lesser then others. I shouldn’t hold that against them. And I should realize the love I do receive from them. I mean do you think that everyone has different capacities of loving others? Or do you think that is an excuse. And that everyone has the same capacity and the level of love for everyone just ranges? Should you just surround yourself with people who have the same beakers as you, and will be able to fill it to the brim with love for you?