The symbol of love.

I suppose if asked to give an example of a symbol of love a red rose would be, if not the top, very high up on the list. I have never done any reason how this came about but I suspect that it might be worthy of just such a study.

I have tried to find the meaning behind it but can find very little more than red being the colour of passion and emotion, love is as strong as any thorn. it seems to have just come about by use and repute.

I have a sneaking suspicion that somewhere the War of the Roses played some part in this history. The rose certainly seems to have many attachments to the land of England. It is in many ways claimed as the flower of England.

I have no concerns with this, for me, the bottom line is that it is a thing of great beauty no matter what colour of where it has come from.

I have spoken of love before in this blog and remembered the fun I had with its meaning and my students. I often teased that it was such a meaningless word it should be dropped from our vocabulary. Of course, there was always a stout defence for its retention.

It is a word we overuse but would never consider not having. When we tell somebody we love them and mean it, there is a tremendous depth of meaning and a bond.

It is loaded with emotion. It is, of course, possible to love more than another person. I have been made very aware of the strong bonds that owners have with the animals in their lives. Dogs especially seem to have the ability to tug at the heartstrings of human owners and create a deep and meaningful bond with them.

How easy it is to have an understanding of these feelings. Yesterday I held a little bird in the palms of my hands and rescued it from certain death on the road. In a very short time, I was feeling this little animal tearing at my emotions. There is a painting in there somewhere for the future. 

But I remember a tale that gives us a salutary lesson about operating on the basis of such emotions.

It is a true tale told by a teacher and his experiences.

"I was attending a junior stock show when a grand-champion lamb, owned by a little girl, was being auctioned. As the bids reached five dollars per pound, the little girl, standing beside the lamb in the arena, began to cry. 

At ten dollars, the tears were streaming down her face and she clasped her arms tightly around the lamb's neck. 

The higher the bids rose, the more she cried. Finally, a local businessman bought the lamb for more than $1000 but then announced that he was donating it to the little girl. 

The crowd applauded and cheered.  (They had all like the businessman been caught up in the emotion of the moment.)

Months later, I was judging some statewide essays when I came across one from a girl who told about the time her grand-champion lamb had been auctioned. 

"The prices began to get so high during the bidding," she wrote, "that I started to cry from happiness." 

She continued with, "The man who bought the lamb for so much more than I ever dreamed I would get returned the lamb to me, and when I got home, Daddy barbecued the lamb--and it was really delicious." 

Now I am sure that was not the end you expected or hoped for. There is no doubt that love is a powerful emotion but if allowed to overcome us can lead to unexpected conclusions.

Whatever it is wonderful to know that you are loved and it brings much joy to us all. 

Have a love filled day, but remember it is a word to be used sparingly and only with meaning and truth.