It’s been a few weeks – and I’ve missed it. Every Friday, Lisa-Jo Baker invites us to stop, drop and write for 5 minutes of unedited thinking on the prompt for the week. It’s a fun community, with lots of participants and lots of takes on each week’s subject. Hop on over and check it out. And then – try it, you’ll like it!
This week’s topic? RISK
GO:
I asked my mother about love one day.
“What’s it like, Mom? Is it hard to say, ‘I love you?'”
“Honey,” she said to me. “It’s the scariest three word sentence in the English language.”
“Why?” I asked, all wide-eyed innocence at age 17, new to the ways of dating and romance.
“Because, sweet girl,” she replied, looking at me with soft eyes, “love is a risk.”
“What?” I exclaimed. “Why is love risky?”
“When you say ‘I love you’ to another person, you’re giving them a part of your heart. And you can’t know what they’re going to do with your precious self. When you say ‘I love you,’ you risk having your heart broken.”
“Oh,” I sighed. “But tell me, do you think it’s worth the risk?”
“Oh.My.Yes. It is worth the risk.”
She turned me to face her, touching each shoulder and looking me right in the eyes.
“To love another human person is just about the biggest risk there is, honey. But – and this is so hard for me to say because I love you so much and I never want you to be hurt – but . . . to live your life without love is far worse than a broken heart. It is better to explore the feelings, to say them out loud and to bear the pain of rejection than to never allow yourself to love. Do you believe me about this?”
With a very deep sigh, and a bit of a shudder, too, I answered, “Yeah, Mom. I do believe you. But I feel sorta shaky inside. And really scared.”
“It’s okay to be scared. It’s not okay to never risk being hurt.”
STOP
I have NO CLUE why this one came pouring out today. This was a conversation that happened 50 years ago. FIFTY.
Makes me think of the say, “It is better to have loved, than not to have loved at all.” Yes, love is a risk, but well worth it when it comes to loving – even after the pain.
yeah, it makes me think of that saying, too. yeah, it’s worth it. definitely.
Wow! Such awesome words of wisdom, so full of truth. Thank you for sharing!
thanks, Heather – for stopping by and offering encouragement!
Awesome conversation! So so true… 🙂 To risk loving someone, is to risk a part of your heart..
Your mother is wise indeed Diana. Thing of all the joy – and yes sorrow – we would miss without the risk of loving. Even the sorrows somehow bring blessing when they draw us closer to the one we love and to the One who is love.
Beautiful!
She was usually very wise about people stuff – relationships, etc. It’s one of the things about her that I miss the most as she slips more and more into the land of confusion.
Oh I just love this so much. I’m right there in the room listening along and imagining Zoe and I having the same conversation one day! Thank you for this – it’s a gift.
~Lisa-Jo
Hey, you! Thanks for stopping by. And I actually thought about you as I wrote this, wondering if you and your mom ever had a conversation like this and imagining you saying these words to that beautiful girl of yours. It’s a rite of passage kind of talk and so important. But it surprised me when that’s what came.
This is so beautiful.Thank you for sharing this story, this part of your life from so long ago. I am visiting from FMF today and I too wrote about love and risk. Thank you for your tender words, they are just wonderful. wishing you His grace. And may your weekend be filled with JOY. I will look forward to another visit over here. 🙂
what a beautiful conversation… just precious sharing.
“Risk” is a good word for me today. And love.
Thank you, Sharon. I appreciate your stopping by and commenting.
Take the leap, Megan – and hang onto love when you do.
Thanks, Elizabeth – and it is SO long ago, but it’s a piece that has stuck with me this whole time. I appreciate your taking the time to leave a comment.