Forever Love

How long have you loved her?

My whole life... forever.

When did you meet?

A thousand years ago.

In a manner of speaking.

Well, if you say so.

We exist, for a short period, on this plane of reality.  We play, learn, work, love, and die, in hope of being reborn to live once again.  For some, we seem to put ourselves through a regimen of self-inflicted sadomasochistic tortures which, in turn, allow us to better relish in the pleasures, the rewards, of this life.  The Marquis de Sade would be so proud.

Our auras are charged with frequencies specific to ourselves, and those frequencies attract and repel other people according to their particular frequencies.  These charged auras are a part of our soul and, as such, will follow us from one life to the next.  In this way, we may very well attract, and repel, the same people life after life.  Accepting this, however, there is a cautionary note concerning lost loves:  If you die young, you may be older than those people you leave behind by the time they finally catch up to you in the next existence.  Well, this explains much for a few of us.

Many of us have met, at some point, a certain someone, a stranger we just know we've met before. You instantly love them or hate them, and there seems to be no obvious reason for your feelings, either way.  If your experience is one of "love at first sight," you may discover that hole you used to have in your heart is gone and that missing piece of you is found.  But, if you instantly love them, this might also give you pause, especially if they're significantly older or younger than you'd normally prefer as a lover. You might think the attraction is intimate, simply to find this not to be the case.  It might even feel immoral to consider an intimate attraction, like thinking about a long searching French-kiss with a relative. You might even wish your feelings for this person were based on an intimate desire, as they would be, in this context, so much easier for most of us to understand and deal with. But, again, in that past life, you may have been a parent, sibling, mentor, or protector, and not necessarily a lover with these folks.  In the case of most of these examples, the roll obviously doesn't have to be gender specific, either.

Oh, and I always hate to stir a controversial pot, but I would think just because you're "straight" in this life, it doesn't preclude you from having been gay in the last, and vice-versa. Or, it could be that this life is simply your turn at embracing your feminine or male side by actually being born as a woman or a man, as your newly donated genetic material dictates. 

Rarer than bumping into an old acquaintance, though, is when the assumed acquaintance experiences a reciprocal emotional connection to you of which they are also at a loss to explain.

“So, all in all, there wasn't anything really wrong with my life. Except that, like most everyone else's I knew about, it had a big gaping hole in it, an enormous emptiness, and I didn't know how to fill it or even know what belonged there.”

-- Jack Finney (1911-1995), author, "Time and Again"

A person can feel lost or confused for much of their life. They can equate their feelings with a sense of not belonging here, of being lost in their own reality. They might identify with music and culture from the late 1800s and the early 1900s. They might find comfort in old-time gospel music, and bagpipes send chills up their arms and a tear to their eye, and all for no apparent reason.  Roman legionnaires and ancient Greek philosophers fascinate them and they no little of either. Though they are very intelligent, their confusion of felling out of place might manifest itself when their ability to learn is held back by their lack of desire to do so.  Through all of this, they will continue to feel an emptiness in life which cannot be filled by relationships, children, education, or career. But, then, out of nowhere, this emptiness is filled by someone they have momentary eye contact with and realize, in that split second, they have known this person for countless lifetimes.

They may discover an ability to understand, in a way many may have only considered, by having a previously theoretical concept of past lives be suddenly driven home by a large, unforgiving, hammer of reality. They finally see things in an all-new light and as they really are. They will look at decisions made in the past and see how different things might have been, especially for those around close to them, if they'd only zigged instead of zagged. They will be able to rewrite a plausible story for their past, understand their present, and perceive the future which lies ahead of them.

But, what about the lost love who filled the gaping hole in your heart? Well, that's the good thing about being reborn. It teaches you about patience. One thing I am most certain of, true love will abide and it will transcend death.  And, what if it doesn't?  Well, I guess "we'll always have Paris."

But I have faith in the true love of ages, this idea of a "forever" love.

“Though lovers be lost, love shall not; And death shall have no dominion.”

-- Dylan Thomas (1914-1953), poet, writer

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.