February is the month we celebrate love, but I believe the world would be so much better if we celebrated it every day—in all its expressions.
In Greek, there are several different words for love, each capturing a distinct aspect of the experience:
Ἀγάπη (Agápe) – Unconditional, selfless love, often associated with divine love, deep compassion, and altruism. It’s the kind of love that is self-giving and expects nothing in return.
Φιλία (Philía) – Deep friendship and affectionate love, often referring to the love between close friends, family members, or even comrades in shared experiences.
Ἔρως (Érōs) – Passionate, romantic, and sometimes intense love, often linked to physical attraction and desire.
Στοργή (Storgḗ) – Familial love, the natural affection between parents and children, or between siblings.
Ξενία (Xenía) / Φιλοξενία (Philoxenía) – The sacred love of hospitality, rooted in Greek tradition, reflecting kindness, generosity, and the deep cultural value of welcoming strangers as honored guests.
We have so many words for love, yet in daily life, we often blur their meanings, mistaking love for situations born from our own wounds. I, too, have done this—especially when it comes to romantic love. Looking back, I wonder—how many times have I confused intensity with depth, mistaking fireworks for something that could truly last?
For the longest time, I believed that ‘true’ love had to feel intensely within me, like fireworks bursting in my heart. And it did—more than once. But just like fireworks, it faded as quickly as it appeared.
Fireworks may spark a sudden excitement and a fleeting sense of awe as they light up the darkness with their beauty. But that kind of intensity doesn’t last. Soon after, we find ourselves in the vast emptiness of the sky, waiting—searching—for the next firework to ignite within us, just to feel that excitement again. But how long can one chase fleeting sparks before realizing they don’t bring lasting warmth?
Lately, I am experiencing love differently—falling in love at a slower, more natural pace, like water flowing through rocks, gently dissolving the emotional blocks and societal conditioning that once stood in its way.
I love Rumi’s quote on that: 'Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.' And I add: ‘When you become aware of the barriers you’ve built against love, and true love finds you, you will be able to let it in—slowly. As it flows through, it will soften and dissolve those blocks.' Because just as water nourishes everything around it, the love I am experiencing now soothes the edges of my defenses. It softens my heart, and I can feel it slowly flowing through my entire being.
The experience itself has made me realize something I have always heard about but only now truly comprehend. Relationships may need work, but love itself should come easy. If it’s not easy, it’s not love. In true love, there is a sense of peace and safety, even if there can be ups and downs in life. When true love is present, trust and good communication become the channels through which it nourishes everything around it.
True love is not in a hurry because it has no destination to reach. It’s already present in every moment—beyond a romantic partner—yet only now am I learning how to milk it when it comes from my loved one. True love softens, nourishes, and revives. It does not chase or force its way in—it is received. And in that receiving, I am learning that true love is not something to grasp or control but something to trust, to surrender to, to let flow. When real, it will always find its way to our hearts.
And unlike fireworks that fade into the night, love—when real—moves like the ocean, deep, consistent, and endless. It does not demand anything except our authenticity. And even if it feels scary at times to embrace such vulnerability, when we are willing to surrender to its calling, we may realize it was always meant to carry us back home.
In many ways, my experience with Authentic Movement has been a practice of true love—an unconditional space where all parts of myself can be present with acceptance. With every expression, every movement or stillness, I feel the barriers within me slowly melting, allowing love and self-acceptance to illuminate my darkest shadows and flow more freely. True love, after all, is not just something we find in another; it is something we must first cultivate within, in the most authentic version of ourselves. And that is the space I am committed to holding for you.
May you allow love to flow freely within you, softening the edges of old wounds. May you trust in its gentle rhythm, knowing that true love does not chase, nor does it rush—it simply is. And may you always return to the home within yourself, where love has been waiting for you all along.
warmly,
maria
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