Now, if you grew up in the 1990’s, that question may have brought a vision of two sharply dressed gentlemen bobbing their heads, and you answered the question with, “Baby, don’t hurt me…”

And if you didn’t grow up in the ’90’s, I’m sorry if you completely missed this reference

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All jokes and poor 1990’s references, aside.  It’s important to reflect on the importance of love during this holiday season.  With all the running about, searching for the perfect gift, and reminders of family dysfunction, it’s easy to forget the joy intended in the season.  It’s hard to forget to “love your fellow man”, as well as to love your family and those closest to you.

Frankl tells us (substitute your choice of pronoun – Frankl used “his”, as did everyone of that time in history) “love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality.  No one can become fully aware of the very essence of another human being unless he loves him.  By his love, he is enabled to see the essential traits and features in the beloved person; and even more he sees what is potential in him, which is not yet actualized but yet ought be actualized.  Furthermore, by his love, the loving person enables the beloved person to actualizes these potentialities…”

In loving someone, we help them realize their potential as a human being.

As Thomas Merton shares, The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”

The BEGINNING of love… is to love the other in their unique humanity.  The beginning.  This is the requirement to start to love someone.  What a great challenge for this holiday season – maybe for this next year.  Love those closest to you in their uniqueness, and help them become what they were meant to be.

A difficult task, yes.  But certainly worthwhile and meaningful.

As the modern warrior/philosopher Jocko Willink encourages us, “Get after it.”