not...

Love, true love anyway, seems at once elusive and mysterious, ethereal and unattainable. And yet it is very real, very possible. There are those who try to pass off counterfeit love as the real thing, so lest one be deceived and disappointed, know well what love is not:

Love is not controlling, punitive, cruel, demanding, demeaning, selfish, judgmental, hurried, angry, pious, rough, dismissive, oppressive, desperate, or indifferent.

Any of these things in a relationship lowers the level of emotional safety within that relationship and when one does not feel safe, one cannot feel loved.
More tomorrow…