On our way to Ucluelet, BC

Genuine Affection
The Couple's Tao Te Ching

When your beloved delights you
you respond with affection —
a smile, a hug, a touch of the hand
gently on bare skin.
But when your beloved disappoints you,
can you still respond with affection?
Can you still open your arms, hold tenderly,
caress healingly, and talk lovingly?
This affection is genuine.
It does not depend
on the behavior of others.
It lies within you at all times.

☷

Can you see each other at your very worst
and respond in love to what you see?
Can you see the lost and lonely child,
hiding behind the unpleasant behavior?
Can you hear the pleas for tenderness?