Unconditional Love

​Well we have been out first thing this morning as is our usual practice of a Monday morning.  We have also had breaky with a friend of ours which happens every few weeks.  I have also had a visit from a mate, that comes over Monday morning every few weeks.
So here I am writing.  Hopefully better late than never.  But it probably will help to clarify some thoughts I had this morning about “unconditional love.”  I thought this morning unconditional love is “loving despite my shortcomings rather than because of my strengths.”
I have seen the opposite of unconditional love a lot.  Even in families though it would not be admitted.  So often parents acting in the best interests of the child (of age) endeavour to change the person.  I have seen time and again this tends to alienate rather than attract.
I know from my own experience that when someone endeavours to change me when I am not ready for change, I resent it and often choose to avoid the one endeavouring to change.
I saw in my mum who has been long gone, a shift where I was accepted the way I was, rather than needing to change to be loved.  Not that I had ever felt alienated from her.  But the last time I saw her I noticed a difference.  And it was desirable and attractive.  I felt that what mattered most was sharing together rather than agreeing together.
That is something I notice.  When I accept someone for who they are, they are more likely to enquire as to how I feel about something.  Sometimes “never the twain shall meet” and sometimes the door is open for us to learn from each other.
To me that is unconditional love.  I know when I am spoken at rather than shared with, I am likely to get my back up.  Another talking is merely to convince me of the rightness of an opinion (and unfortunately the opinion can be built solely on “because I said so” rather than reason and love.
I will always listen, even of I do not agree.  I may in considering it, change my thoughts, or, even if I do not, I often find reasons that reinforce what I think.
To me loving unconditionally opens doors while mostly with conditional love they stay shut.