The words that pour through my pen represent a concentrated overflow of all of the passion, pain and promise that I’ve experienced throughout the years. And while I work through my ability to freely share it all with you, I take solace in the fact that others have successfully achieved that level of openness.

I share some of their thoughts on love and relationships in this edition of Love Quotables—which is arguably my favorite part of The Fly Guy Chronicles.

The Fly Quotes

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

There’s nothing half so sweet in life as love’s young dream. ~ Thomas Moore

Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly, and without expectation. We don’t love to be loved; we love to love. ~ Leo Buscaglia

Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness. ~Bertrand Russell

Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. ~Albert Einstein

If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself; all that runs over will be yours.  ~Charles Caleb Colton

Love creates an ‘us’ without destroying a ‘me’. ~ Leo Buscaglia

The Fly Response

Now it’s your turn. Do you have an expression of love that speaks to you? If so, feel free to share.

I was often told that a picture was worth a thousand words. But as I’ve gotten a little older and a tad bit wiser, I’ve come to realize that powerful imagery is worth so much more than those thousand words … especially when it speaks to the very pulse of your passion for another person.

In today’s edition of Love Quotables, we take a look at a few of my favorite images—all of which say so more about love than my words ever could.

So take a moment with each photo, and allow it to speak to you. After doing so, I’d like you to share your thoughts. That last part (the articulation) is an important step in this exercise. Don’t leave it out. Ok?

Last night, I aimlessly walked the streets of Amsterdam with no set destination in mind. Now, it wasn’t like I didn’t have anywhere to go … in fact, it was quite the opposite. But before I could make my scheduled dinner plans, I wanted to walk and clear my mind a bit.

So I walked … and walked … and walked some more until I arrived at this beautiful bridge standing directly across from Amsterdam’s bustling central train station. As I gazed at the canal boats directly below, the peace by which they floated down the channel instantly spoke to me in a profound way.

I immediately began to think about true love, and how it was designed by the Creator. In a world filled with incessant noise and distractions, love should be just like those boats … calm, quiet, and with a singular focus of reaching the predetermined goal (that goal being a beautiful life together.)

I stayed for a few more moments, all the while thanking God for the incomparable creation of love, as well as the ability we’ve all been given to wholeheartedly pursue it. It’s an absolutely amazing gift.

So in the spirit of that very gift, I felt it time to present another chapter in our Love Quotables series … I pray that these inspired quotes touch you in a profound way. Enjoy.

Chapter 22

Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without, and know we cannot live within. ~James Baldwin

Life is brief, but love is long. ~Alfred Lord Tennyson

We are shaped and fashioned by what we love. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Men always want to be a woman’s first love … women like to be a man’s last romance. ~Oscar Wilde

A true lover always feels in debt to the one he loves. ~Ralph W. Sockman

Life is a romantic business, but you have to make the romance. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Love is the great miracle cure. ~Louise Hay

We can only learn to love by loving. ~Iris Murdoch

The one thing we can never get enough is love. And the one thing we never give enough of is love. ~Henry Miller

Love Quotable Song of the Day
Robin Thicke- “U Center Me”

The Fly Lyrics-
Every fog, every rain, every thunder.
On this road, seems like it will never end.
So I stray and I wonder, I don’t want to crash again.

And you say, some things never get better,
Some roads never get right.
Sometimes people need more than what’s inside.

And I know, that you center me.
And I know, that you center me.

Then one day, I’m the life of the party.
I’m the real thing, I’m your everything.
Then I fall from the grace, from the glory.
I lose all my faith again.

And you say nothings going to be perfect.
Perfects all in your mind, and all these demons
I can’t give up this fight.

And I know, that you center me.
And I know, that you center me.
And I know, that you center me.
And I know, that you center me.

When I lose my way, when anger fills my soul.
When I get to high on myself, and when it gets too cold.
Oh I know, you’ll bring me back to life.
OH I know, you’ll make it seem alright.
Alright…Alright…

And I know, you center me.
And I know, you center me.
And I know, you center me.

Lord, grant me the strength to always honor my gift of self-expression. But if I ever fall short and it’s taken away, I pray that I’m still able to learn from the thoughts and honest expressions of others—particularly as it relates to love and relationships.

Here is the latest installment of Love Quotables … beautiful expressions of love, guaranteed to stand the test of time.

Love Quotable- Chapter 21

‎”If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself; all that runs over is yours.” ~Charles Colton

“When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out.“ ~Elizabeth Bowen

“I have learned not to worry about love, but to honor its coming with all my heart.” ~Alice Walker

“A man falls in love through his eyes, a woman through her ears.” ~Woodrow Wyatt

“You don’t love a woman because she’s beautiful; she is beautiful because you love her.” ~anonymous

“The worst part of life is waiting. The best part of life is having someone worth waiting for.” ~Jessica Brumley

“In dreams, and in love there are no impossibilities.” ~Janos Arany

“My love for you is a journey; starting at forever, ending at never.”  ~anonymous

“You love simply because you cannot help it.”  ~Kim Anderson

“Life is the first gift, love is the second.” ~Marge Piercy

**Feel free to share your own expressions of love with me … who knows; they may make our next Love Quotables segment.

How could I call myself a true advocate of love if I didn’t pay tribute to those who thrive in the art of romantic expression? Yes, it’s time for another installment of Love Quotables, my ode to the true romantics of the world. I hope you enjoy their words as much as I do.

_____________________

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” ~Robert Heinlein

“To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.” ~Karen Sunde

“When love speaks, the voice of all the gods make heaven drowsy with the harmony.” ~William Shakespeare

“To love someone is to see a miracle invisible to others.” ~Francois Mauriac

“I grew up the moment I said I love you. In that moment, I understood that only a real man could love you properly.” ~The Fly Guy

“A life without love is like a year without summer.” ~Swedish Proverb

“Love is like a rumor; everyone talks about it, but no one truly knows it.” ~Anonymous

“First loves have it easy as there’s no baggage. I have far more respect for those able to make someone fall in love again.” ~The Fly Guy

“From success you get a lot of things, but not that great inside thing that love brings you.” ~Sam Goldwyn

_____________________
The Fly Request: Did you have a favorite love quotable today? If so, let me know which one, and why. If none of my selections resonated with you, then bring a new one to the table. Share with me your favorite expressions of love.

I will never lose sight of the power of love. Nor will I ever forsake the gift of expression. That’s why I get excited when it’s time to unveil another segment of Love Quotables. In each installment, I get to honor those who also believe in the sacredness of self-expression, and who prove as much by pouring their heart out through their words. Join me in celebrating their thoughts, with the understanding in mind, that you also have a similar gift locked inside of you. Enjoy.
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**The Love Quotables

Sometimes the heart sees what’s invisible to the eye.
~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

A loving heart is the truest wisdom.
~Charles Dickens

Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale.
~Author unknown

Those who are faithless know the pleasure of love; but it is those who are faithful who know love’s tragedies.
~Oscar Wilde

There is no remedy for love but to love more.
~Henry David Thoreau

Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.
~Leo Tolstoy

The magic of first love is our ignorance that it can never end.
~Benjamin Disraeli

The true beauty of love is found in the infinite amount of ways it can be expressed. That’s why I always find joy in sharing Love Quotables, my ongoing search for the most poignant expressions of love. Here’s a fresh sampling of unique, heartfelt sayings from both everyday people and prominent figures in history.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
~Lao Tzu

“Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it’s better to leave them broken than hurt yourself putting it back together”
~unknown

“Love does not die easily, it’s a living thing.
It thrives in the face of all life’s hazards,
save one–neglect.”
~James Bryden

Love cannot endure indifference. It needs to be wanted. Like a lamp, it needs to be fed out of the oil of another’s heart, or its flame burns low.
~ Henry Ward Beecher

Love is sometimes denied, sometimes lost,
and sometimes unrecognized.
But in the end, it’s always found with no regrets,
forever valued and kept treasured.
~unknown

I’ve decided to change up the approach to my Fly Poetry section today. Instead of featuring a traditional poem, I wanted to post the lyrics to a song that me to reads like beautiful poetry (Not to mention the fact that it now has a very special meaning to me.)

There are no additional words needed from me on this one … just check out the lyrics, and when you’re done, take a listen to the song for good measure.

The Fly Poetry/Lyrics

You introduce me to life that I’ve never known
When I’m by your side that’s when I feel at home
And my only intent is to make you smile
I promise…

So believe what I say when I say I’m real
Cuz there ain’t no mistaking the way I feel
Baby open your heart and accept this love
I give you…

Over the others
Over my pride
Over the faults, I have in my life

I choose you

Over the others
Over my pride
Cuz you’re the best thing, in my life

I choose you

Said I knew it was right, so I took the chance
Disregarded the challenge of the circumstance
Now your to big a part of me to let you go
I promise…

So despite the way that I make mistakes
And despite the direction this love may take
You can always be sure of me just have faith,
I got you … this much is true

Over the others, over my pride,
Over the falls I have in my life

I choose you

Over the others, over my pride
Cuz you’re the best thing, in my life

I choose you

Listen to “I Choose You” by Ryan Leslie

The world would be lost without the gift of expression … well, at least the world that I occupy. That’s why I’ve always worked hard to highlight those who consistently master the art of self-expression. So as we present this 16th installment of our popular Love Quotables segment, let’s take a moment to congratulate those who not only excel at this gift, but who also make our jobs easier. (Don’t act like you’ve never borrowed a quote from someone else and used it as your own … I’m just saying.) Enjoy.

“In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing.”
~Mignon McLaughlin

“Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.”
~H. L. Mencken

“We can only learn to love by loving.”
~Iris Murdoch

Immature love says, “I love you because I need you.” Mature love says, “I need you because I love you.”
~Erich Fromm

“I have learned not to worry about love;
But to honor its coming with all my heart.”
~Alice Walker

“To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart,
And to sing it to them when they have forgotten.”
~Anonymous

“The best feelings are those that have no words to describe them.”
~Michelle Hammersley

If my words prove incapable of articulating my heart’s appreciation for you, then let the words of others inspire a new sense of understanding of just how much you mean to me. Here is Volume 15 of Love Quotables. Enjoy.

“Within you I lose myself. Without you I find myself wanting to become lost again.”
~Unknown

“Kiss me and you will see stars; love me and I will give them to you.”
~Unknown

“The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman’s heart.”
~Josiah G. Holland

“Listening is an attitude of the heart, a genuine desire to be with another which both attracts and heals.”
~J. Isham

“Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.”
~Thomas Fuller

Love Quotable Song Of The Week
Brandy’s “1st and Love”

“Don’t know how long forever is
Would you stay with me, and find out with me
Oh if the sun don’t rise for weeks
Baby that’s alright with me
Can’t add to infinity
But if you stay with me
You can count on me”