Love Hurts

Have you ever let your love for others bring pain and hurt to yourself? Regardless of whether that love is towards your partner, your family members, or your friends; have you ever suffered because of your love towards them?

Well, I have.

The phrase 'love hurts' has been circling in my head for a few days, ever since I read the book The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. It just goes to show that even though two totally different individuals know that all they do is hurt each other, they just couldn't stay away from each other and they are bound together by their love towards each other. Neither wants to hurt the other; but all the same, they are the ruin of each other.

There is another book that I've read that resonated this phrase pretty well. It's called Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult and it tells the story of a woman being physically abused by her husband. They loved each other deeply; but the husband grew up with a dark side in him and he couldn't help but be physically abusive when he got mad. It is a sad story, really. I felt sad when it comes to the part where the story is being narrated by the husband and his side of the story is being told. He loved her; but he couldn't help being abusive. She loved him; but she couldn't leave him even though she was being abused multiple times.

It is all so sad. I think it happens all around the world and all around us. Some love nourish those touched by it and bring happiness to them; some love hurt those touched by it and bring pain and sadness to them. The love of a child to the parents that binds that child to them even though the parents are abusive; the love of a girl to a guy that binds her to him even though he hurts her all the time and vice versa; it happens all too frequently.

It is so easy to advice others and give them our opinions. But when it comes to ourselves, and when we get into that particular situation, it is so very difficult for us to do the 'right' thing. Feelings get involved, emotions run high; it is then tough for us to rationalize what's right and what's wrong. Or maybe we are able to rationalize but unable to do it. It is always tough to break things off or cut things out when our feelings get involved.

So anyhow, sad sad books I've been reading lately, and it doesn't put me in a happy place.