Just Like I Told You Before

"How do you know when you love someone?" he asked.

The old man stopped for a moment and looked at the young man, "Well, that all depends, what kind of love are you speaking about?"

The young man replied honestly "Is there really a difference?"

"Hmm, well put. But, it seems to me that you already understand, so why are you asking me?"

"Because I'm . . . I'm confused."

After a thoughtful moment the old man got a bit of a twinkle in his eye, "How do you know when YOU love someone?"

"I care for them. I want them to be happy, to have what ever it may be that they might need, and I want to help them get it."

The old man quite agreed, but was now confused himself, "So, what don't you understand?"

Trying to make it clearer the young man put forth, "Part of what I'm wondering about, I suppose, is that . . . IS there a difference in loves? --kinds of love I mean."

"What exactly are you getting at, son?"

The young man finally decided to give the old man the whole picture, "I love her. I love her deeply. But I know that she isn't the one I want to be with for the rest of my life, at least she isn't that person right now. I don't know if she'll ever be. How can I say that I love her, but still feel that way inside?"

With the clearer picture the old man tried to explain, "I'm sure you do love her. You'd do anything you could to make her happy. But don't think that just because you love someone it means that you owe them anything." He finished this little bit with a smile and it dumbfounded the young man.

Finally after giving the young man some time to process this comment, and being sure that he didn't understand, the old man continued, "While LOVE is the same, it is important to realize that there are different, say, levels of love. There are things that I would do for my wife even before she'd finished asking me to do it. I LOVE my wife. I have many neighbors that I love, some more than others, but I would not make certain sacrafices of myself for them like I would for my wife. That love between her and I is far stronger. You may love this girl, but you don't LOVE this girl. Only to the one that you LOVE should you truly tie yourself to."

Some silence passed between the two friends and the young man began to speak again, "But-"

The old man quickly silenced him, "When you would be willing to do more for her than anybody else on this planet."