Unconditional Love

My dear readers,

I am lucky to say I know what unconditional love is. There are people who unconditionally love me and I them, and it is something I do not take for granted. You can be rude, lewd, hurtful and spiteful, mean and withholding, make mistakes and royally mess up - otherwise known as being human - but at the end of the day love wins out every time. Of course there are equally beautiful moments of happiness, acceptance, peace and joy, and the love you feel makes your heart swell. And just when you thought your love reached its zenith, it surpasses new heights. It is awesome and without being too maudlin, that is what life is all about. Maybe you think this is a bunch of tree hugging hippy crap, but there is something to it. Love begets more love, and conversely hate begets more hate. So once you've found love, spread it around. It's truly contagious in the best kind of way. And if know what unconditional love is, cherish it and appreciate it. You are a lucky one.

You might think I will now gush about my wonderful boyfriend. I would love to say more about Robert, and I know there will be future posts about our relationship, but if you want to read about my relationship with him, go back a few posts to "The One".  This post will actually be about something you might not have expected. It's about The Beatles. For those of you who REALLY know me, this will not come as a surprise. If you do not, you will soon learn why Beatles and unconditional love can be uttered in the same breath by yours truly.

I grew up listening to the Beatles in the womb. I was preconditioned, perhaps even brainwashed, by my parents who grew up under the spell of Beatlemania. And boy am I jealous they got to live through it! What I would give to have been around in the 60s and witness the four Liverpudlian mop tops flit around all over the world spreading love, peace, laughs and brilliant music! I own all of the LPs (some I inherited, others I found in record stores), the DVDs, the CDs, the books (including a first edition In His Own Write), Beatles monopoly, Beatles pint glasses, Beatles blankets (thanks LaZarr for the "Let It Be" one), a Beatles throw pillow, a Beatles sheet and comforter set (thanks Sarah), Beatles lunch boxes, Beatles mugs (Gustavo, the Yellow Sub one is still my fave!), need I go on??? Part of my lifelong obsession includes celebrating Beatle days, such as birthday and (tragically) days of passing. I wear a Beatles t-shirt, watch movies, listen to music, pick up my guitar and play and sing in honor of my beloved Beatles.

So you might have gathered the connection to unconditional love, and you might be thinking, "Wait a minute, Tina. How can this be considered unconditional love?" True, I bestow my love upon the Beatles, but because of their legacy, they have bestowed an endless amount of love and happiness upon me. So it goes both ways. I give and receive.

Why did I choose to write about this now? Because today we honor the birth of one of modern music's greatest songwriters, John Lennon. He would have been 76 today. And I think now you will believe me when I say I still miss him, without ever having met him. But his music and the music of the Beatles has touched so many lives. Despite the hashtag #whothefuckispaulmccartney (a crime and a downright shame), the Beatles' influence resonates beyond the ignorance of today's youth. So that will have to be some comfort for us eternally in the throes of Beatlemania. That even if there are those who do not know the Beatles, that their music lives on and the youth of today benefits from it, even if they have no idea just who the fuck that Paul McCartney is.

This post is lovingly dedicated to my family, friends, mein allerliebster Robert and of course, the Beatles.

"And in the end, the love you make it equal to the love you take."

R.I.P. John Winston (Ono) Lennon. October 9, 1940-December 8, 1980.