February 2020 Editor's Fix

Love. A complex emotion explored through books, poetry, art and song for centuries. Discussed and debated in depth by theologists, philosophers, psychologists, and among friends and family. 

While it is agreed that many forms of love exist, some characteristics are omnipresent. Affection. Respect. Trust. A general we vs. I. 

What I have always found so interesting is that in the English language, there is generally one word for love… giving it a lot of weight, or sometimes very little. I love mountain biking, I love my daughters, I love Fernie, I love this coffee. For something so complex, why have no other words been created to allow us to more appropriately express our feelings?

My mom is Finnish, and she has admitted to always having a hard time using the word love. “There are so many ways to say it in my language,” she would say. Having briefly looked into it, I discovered 11 different ways to express love, all with different weights and meanings. 

Perhaps it is to our benefit to have this one word… as it forces us to step up and express our love through our actions. So yes, I love mountain biking but how am I expressing this? I volunteer to support our trail network. I love my daughters, how do I show them? I am affectionate. I listen and am genuinely interested (perhaps intoxicated is a better word) in all things relating to them. When it comes to Fernie, I work hard at being a positive representative of this community and to share this love through the pages of this magazine. And coffee? Well, I support the coffee roasters and cafes that keep me caffeinated. 

It seems more important than ever to be connected and to practice deep gratitude towards all of the things we hold dear to our hearts. Love may be complex, but as Tennyson so eloquently wrote, “tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Our families, communities and world are better for it.