Love beyond emotionality

When talking about the significance of love, one particular character of a well-known sitcom stands out in my mind: Ted Mosby, from How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM). What draws me to Ted is how he embodies both emotion and reason when it comes to love – often torn, but never shallow. In that sense, when talking about any of his relationships, whether that's a close friend or a lover, he sometimes combines both, even if in other moments the emotional part seems to have a bigger part - and, if that's so, it's still legitimate. But I'm not here to explore in detail all of Mosby's profound characteristics as a character of the North American series HIMYM. I'm here to reflect on a confession that comes from his inherent and honest sentiments about love that has stayed with me ever since: "Actually, there is a word for that. It's love. I'm in love with her, okay? If you're looking for the word that means caring for someone beyond all rationality and wanting them to have everything they want, no matter how much it destroys you, it's love! And when you love someone, you just don't stop. Ever! Even when people roll their eyes or call you crazy. Even then! Especially then! You just don't give up because if I could give up... If I could just, you know, take the whole world's advice and move on and find someone else, that wouldn't be love. That would be... That would be some other disposable thing that is not worth fighting for." As mentioned in the quote, the foundation of Ted's feelings has a rational sense within its emotionality. The sentiments he feels come from a place of thought, introspection, and dialogue with himself, as well as from his experiences, references, and conversations with people that impact or have impacted his life. It's not something vague, empty, or unaware of its own value.

With the previous paragraph in context, I really felt and still feel that the amount of words spelled with an open mind and heart is the way I, in part, feel and think about love, which is something that should be free - "wanting them to have everything they want, no matter how much it destroys you" - as well as chosen - "when you love someone, you just don't stop". And this "you just don't stop" shouldn't, for me, mean you don't let her or him go; it means "wanting them to have everything they want," even if that everything means saying goodbye and respecting a crucial decision or their free will. In summary, my interpretation means that I'm in favour of respecting myself emotionally and rationally about loving someone despite not being loved in the same way, without ever being an obstacle or something harmful for that person. Love should be free, respectful, and honest in every sense. Because love, as Ted taught me, is not about holding on — it's about wishing someone well, even when it costs you everything.