“How do I love thee?… let me count the ways…” How could we ever forget these words by Elizabeth Barret Browning. But most philosophers and social psychologist will tell you that there are mainly three ways to love another.

The ancient Greeks talked of Agape, Eros and Philia. Modern social psychologists speak of Committed, Intimate and Passionate love. Now there may come a time in our lives when we have to say love is love, but we must also be careful not to mix up the different forms of love.

If you are in a relationship with someone, you ideally can share all three forms of love with them. A common issue is when passionate love is confused for intimate love (or visa-versa). Our intimate love has little or nothing to do with sex or physical attraction. To be intimately in love with someone is to know them so well, you can almost finish their sentences. This is what the Greeks called Philia. This love can be shared with family and friends as well, but in a committed relationship it is intimate love that gives us that ‘completed’ feeling; it is to be cherished in each other.

It is intimate love that can also be so terrifying it can keep us from progressing to committed love. To allow someone to know your deepest and perhaps darkest dreams, to share with them your loftiest and most high visions can be very difficult. It is difficult for some of us to open up enough to share this intimacy, but try we must.

At the end of the day we are talking about love, and it’s all good.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard