How Does Love End?

In my previous post, I wondered how does love begin through a poem. The poem was written at the onset of a romantic relationship when both parties were still googly-eyed over and couldn't get enough of each other. When love was at its hottest and loveliest. That was written a long time ago and that relationship had already fallen apart a long time ago. 



The relationship failed due to a lot of reasons. Reasons that both parties admitted and accepted, so the ending wasn't really bad. The relationship ended not because the love ended but because there were many things and people to be considered in continuing the relationship. The love was still there but was chosen to be buried and forgotten for the sake of other more important things in life. But now, I got into thinking....

How Does Love End?

We all know, one way or another, when love has ended or has died. We know when it is gone, when it is no longer in our hearts. We simply cease thinking or caring much about the person we used to love. We no longer care if we see them or don't. When we don't feel anything anymore for them. Not even anger. Just plain indifference. As what Elie Wiesel said, "The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference."

But why....how...does it end? 

I know someone who once had so much love to give to her partner. She was so in love and showed it in many ways every single day of their lives. The love was overflowing that her partner confided that he already felt like swimming in an ocean of love. Sometimes, he said, he didn't even know how he could reciprocate it anymore. And then one day, she told him she doesn't love him anymore and left without so much of a goodbye.

How could that have happened? Where did the abundant love go? Did it just die?

I remember reciting this quote back in college, concerning love and its death. I don't remember what was the subject or the topic being discussed and debated about but I remember crying while passionately reciting this: 

"Love never dies of a natural death.
It dies because we do not know how to replenish its source, it dies of blindness and errors, and betrayals.
It dies of illness and wounds,  it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings."

                                                                   - Anais Nin

 This is a quote from French-Cuban author and passionate eroticist, Anais Nin. It speaks a whole lot of truth in it and explains why and how love ends.

It is generally easy to fall in love, or to make a person love you. Just by showering your attention, or showing compassion, or giving time, or merely listening and understanding, you could easily make a person love you. But maintaining that love, keeping it alive takes some work and effort. Because if it is not reciprocated, it can grow tired and weak...and eventually die.

I guess love is like a plant that needs taking care of. You need to give it water, enough exposure to the sun, fertilizer and even a time for nice conversation. Yes, there are love that are like weeds, which doesn't require too much of your time and effort. They continue to grow and spread without so much of a bother. But, with too much sun and too little water, even weeds can wither and die...