How many people have you truly, deeply loved?

My parents.

And probably my Ex, Nathan… although he is no longer someone I can love. I did love who he was. Unconditionally.

For me it’s my daughter, the the love of my life that I have a broken-heart over right now and my family. I also have a few really close friends that I can say I truly, deeply love. So in my 39 years, maybe 10 people that I feel fit this kind of love.

Probably around a dozen in my lifetime. My first and oldest best friend Kathy, some family members, a few other friends, my wasband, and most of all my daughter.

wasband is such an awesome word

my kids above all else.

my grandma and grandpa on my mom’s side.

my mother and my daughter.

My mother and my very best friend Jonathan. I’d lay down my life in a heartbeat for these two.

my sister, her husband, my nephew, my fiance.

My partner Jennifer. My children. My ex-sister-in-law (odd I know, but I love her like, well, a lover). Funny, but I don’t classify my parents or siblings in the category. I know that I love them unconditionally, but it seems to be a different kind of love. Maybe it’s a love I was born with and my love of Jenn, my ex-s-i-l and kids is one that I grew from nothing to what it is today. Good question, by the way.

(you forgot “madly” in the question)

My self. I am narcissus

Three little boys, one big boy, and my amazing sister and her family.

Romantically only 2 true loves….. so far.

Romantically: 2
Children: 3
Friends: 2

That’s it. I guess my love doesn’t come too easily!

Aug: No family? :(

@Nimis: I forgot one person…my step-father. Out of a large family, he is the only one. It makes me sad, too.

Three kids and my husband, my siste and my dad. I love my mother-in-law and my grandparents.

1. I cannot forget him, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t.
/wrist.

My son; my 3 bffs; my ex-husband and ex-boyfriend (my love is unconditional, but my life isn’t); and my current beau who has put the unconditionality (if that’s a word) to the test over this past year.

“unconditional” and “true love” do not go hand-in-hand in my world. I believe that “unconditional love” takes away from the meaning of “true love”. In my mind, to love unconditionally is to not truly love at all. Once you take the reasons out of why you love someone, it becomes meaningless garbage. There are always certain reasons someone may not be worthy of another person’s love.

To answer your question based on my own personal guidelines, however… Four. Three are family.

:(

True love I would define as being able to bring every part of yourself, sharing everything you have inside. What you bring is accepted, appreciated and reciprocated. I am speaking of being able to share fully on emotional, spiritual, practical, financial, and physical levels, as well as any other level you bring to the table.

By this definition, I have truly loved no one until now. It turned out in every relationship that I loved someone that didn’t really exist. I brought as much of myself as the other person could stand and even that amount drove the other person away.

I love my children! I share with them to a lesser degree on all these levels and expect to share more proportionally on all these levels, in a healthy, respectful manner. I don’t expect them to reciprocate to the same level as well.

two. you know who they are because one of them’s you!

I am kind of sensitive and when someone has hurt me I pull back a little in order to not be hurt again. The only people I have never been able to distance myself from-my father and my daughter. You can only be hurt by the ones you love?

One non-family person. My sweetpea.

@atseda: Lurve for ‘sweetpea’!

Then nobody. I have been surprised by other’s behavior a couple of times but I can’t say really hurt. I had a childhood friend who had shared life’s experiences for almost 30 years. At the age of 31 (both of us divorced and were raising) we took distinctly different paths. I went to college and she moved home to her parents’ and worked at a retail job. We saw each other less because of different schedules but we still talked several times a week. About a year later when she got married she was so excited about the wedding present she got from her new husband-cocaine. I was surprised but I knew after 3 decades we were no longer friends.

@aug:Thanks, I still love her.

We are kind of in limbo.