Love Gift

Love (luhv) – noun, verb
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person;
2. to have love or affection;
3. to hug or cuddle;
4. to embrace or kiss as lovers.

Have you ever been in love? How do you know? What does love mean to you?

I’ve been known to throw the word around… I love my bike. I love a day warm enough to ride. I love the top of a long hill. I love a long cool drink of water. I love my camelback. I love my new polar heart rate monitor. I l-o-v-e sushi. And I love a Sunday nap. Not accurate. I enjoy those things but that’s not love.

Love is a full week on a cold garage floor, under a Honda Accord, replacing a clutch. Love is blood blisters on two fingers, and continuing to work. Love is a t-shirt, sweatshirt, and pair of jeans that will have to be thrown away because the grease will never come out. Love is early mornings and late nights on the crummiest garage creeper in the history of the world. Love is a quarter-inch scab on the crown of the mechanic’s head after said crummy creeper rolled too far, too fast. Love is a bruised rib from rolling off the crummy creeper. Love is hours spent pouring over the Accord repair manual, to learn the steps of a new task. And love is finishing that job, and then replacing two dashboard light bulbs and adjusting the hood latch “just because” it would make things better.

Love is being satisfied with payment in the form of a kiss.

Am I a lucky woman, or what?