Is Love a Syndrome?

By: Kenneth Stepp

Syndrome: A group of symptoms that consistently occur together or a condition characterized by a set of associated symptoms.

That’s an interesting question that I believe enough evidence exists to say, yes, love is a syndrome.

“I don’t love them because they are beautiful. They are beautiful because I love them” – Unknown

There is one symptom. I know when I truly love. I see only beauty. Perfection, no flaws at all. Another is that you miss them when they aren’t with you. Not in an obsessive way, but a longing way. You have something to share about your time apart, or, you just feel better breathing the same air. Another is your goals change. When you envision the future. They are in that vision. For me, I trust beyond logic. If you are like that you will understand that. If you are not, you never will.

I believe I have made my case for love being a syndrome. The only thing left to solidify it is to name it and give it an acronym. “Love Too Deep To overlook”, or LTDO. There, it’s official. Where are those people who write textbooks for psych class when you need one? I’m sure they will be around shortly.

Now that we have established this “fact. Named it and given it an acronym, we can now figure out what to do with all this….. Or not. I’m still totally in the dark about love. I know I’ve experienced it. I know all I see is perfection. I know being with them is wonderful. Even if we just breathe the same air. I have all the symptoms. Not that it matters sometimes.

“You only need one man to love you. But him to love you free like a wildfire, crazy like the moon, always like tomorrow, sudden like an inhale and overcoming like the tides. Only one man and all of this.”― C. Joy Bell

As powerful as those words are. Love is still understated. Why? Because mere words are inadequate when describing real, unconditional love. I believe this is the reason I struggle with it when I write about it. I want to offer up my words as a picture of the love I have experienced. They fail me every time I try. Maybe I’m not the wordsmith I dream of being. Or, maybe I’m simply correct. Love cannot be explained with words. It is a spiritual entity we have allowed inside us. Crazy? Maybe.

I believe Sarah Cross has lived what I have lived. I cannot say it better…..

“Because, if you could love someone, and keep loving them, without being loved back . . . then that love had to be real. It hurt too much to be anything else.”

― Sarah Cross

www.stepplife.com

Founder, American Angel Works