Love is Not a Currency of Exchange, Part I

Depiction of the Courtesan-Priestess Diotima from Plato’s “Symposium”

I wanted to write today about that much overused and misunderstood four letter word: Love.

A beloved teacher of mine is fond of reiterating the truth that real unconditional love is absolutely humiliating and excruciating — along with true full-bodied gratitude — you know, the sort that’s free of the armory of hollow, spiritual platitudes and instead opens you up to the visceral realization…