It is totally a matter of measuring feelings. No science involved, just emotions. It is impossible to quantify emotions.

My parents died and have been in the ground many years. I still feel immeasurable love for them.

In the end, it is just a book that will have your opinion in it. No one can call you out and say that is wrong unless they can prove it, and that is impossible.

Love, like energy, cannot be destroyed. It changes form, but continues to exist. I cannot feel the gentle touch of my Father's hand, but I feel the warmth of his heart. His kind deeds on this earth have ceased, but his children, and his grandchildren are kind people, making their own joyful moments. Like one candle burned to its stub can still light another candle. And that another, and another.

I would love to buy a copy of this book, Shaun. I think it will be great.

angela

It can turn to hate.
This idealism that love just remains forever under all circumstances is , sorry to say, BS.

^^^^ "Love is a rose but you'd better not pick it...it only grows when it's on the vine""

Who did that terrible song...and why did it pop into me head :)

Dang...Neil Young wrote it.....I was remembering Rondstadt's version....but that song sux ;)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1544468529.jpg

Some people can't show love, even to their own offspring. I am very thankful I never knew the female (I can't call her a lady) this obituary is about. I was very lucky to have two wonderful loving parents.

Could be my own mother

Yeah....I can't relate to that...at all. We have something in common Glen...awesome parents :)

So well written and I agree wholeheartedly...I can feel the warmth of my Mother's smile as I try and type a reasonable response to the OPs question.

My wife, however, was raised by emotional wolves who exhibited neither character or love. Her mother's smile was a cold sneer, still is. My wife made her own life by achieving her way out of her barren upbringing.

We decided that our relationship would break her families chain; that our love, our commitment and love would ensure our children would get a candle, would burn it to the stub so another candle could be lit...

That is all I know of this life. Thank you Angela.

Lust or desire turns to hate. The opposite of love is apathy.

I cannot answer your question, Shaun, because I don't consider myself a smart man.....

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......maybe one day I will figure it all out.

Baz, if there's one person on this board who has it all figured out, I think it's you.

You will have one Angela, just might be a while, though from what I see, you could certainly write your own, probably a lot more beautiful. Love your poem, whether you meant it to be or not.

When a loved one dies- someone you loved or someone who loved you, first thing that hits you is you are now w/o their love but your love for them has multiplied....roughly double- sometimes more. It's math-like but they don't teach it in physics. No really its not mathematical nor is it infinite or finite or conversely it IS BOTH infinite and finite.... since its not really a 'thing' at all those terms do not apply.

I want to be thanked in your book.

It lives on in your heart.

Yes, there is your immortality

Pretty dark in this thread Stijn.

I am pretty sure that obituary is about one of my former patients.




No, love is not finite, in my experience

Love is a connection between two people and can remain after death. Certainly as long as one of them is alive and keeps it active. After that is a matter of faith.
I have heard that with women, when she is lonely and the longing gets too much, she sends a cable comin' in from above. Don't need no phone at all. Now that is a thing called "Radar Love". Believe that was written about a dead woman in mind reaching out.

Love of a country, or people is tolerance, not love. You cannot give love to hundreds of thousands of people, they love different things. All you can do is increase acceptance of all those differences. So comments above about less love-I see that as less tolerance not love.

In fact if love exists which we agree, and population is rising, and everybody loves somebody then overall love would be increasing right?

Love means to learn to look at yourself
The way one looks at distant things
For you are only one thing among many.
And whoever sees that way heals his heart,
Without knowing it, from various ills.
A bird and a tree say to him: Friend.

Then he wants to use himself and things
So that they stand in the glow of ripeness.
It doesn’t matter whether he knows what he serves:
Who serves best doesn’t always understand.

Czeslaw Milosz

I agree with you and like your thesis, but playing Devil's Advocate, you could use Genesis as an example of a fixed amount of love that must be doled out to a growing population, with adverse effects.

We are given Adam, he is bored, but there is no sin.

Then we are given Eve, so a fixed amount of love must be divided. The result? Original Sin.

Then are given Cain & Abel. Two more people all using the same amount of love available. The result was murder of course.

And so on.

Clearly many people today aren't given enough love, and others don't give enough.

Something to think about.

or we could just be nihilistic about it and call its just an instinct chemical thing in our brain which on short term results in procreation and care for the resulting offspring.. and that as a side effect if it all works out, and there is enough positive feedback, results in above average care for the other.. or even altruism vs the other one.