My love for the Beanies,

C.S. Lewis, in his book called The Four Loves, expounds on four different sorts of love: familial love, platonic love, romantic/erotic love, and charity. But, the one I want to talk about is platonic love, because it is so underrated.

Unlike romantic love (according to C.S. Lewis), platonic love does not gaze AT the object of affection, but rather two people, side by side, gaze in the same direction at a common object of affection. Their affection for that object is what binds them together.

In my own musing on love, I call some types of love “redemptive” love and others “joyful love”. While the categories are by no means mutually exclusive, I do mean something different for each. “Redemptive” love is when two people share a similar kind of pain, and through empathy, compassion, and kindness, each tries to help the other heal. So, the common denominator is pain. In “joyful” love, I mean the things that give us joy because it touches upon something that is so intrinsically essential to our flourishing and thriving, who we were made to be, that we feel more alive and ourselves when we are immersed in it. Redemptive love (hopefully) is temporary, but joyful love is forever.

What I love about Dramabeans is that I find a community in which we all love these stories which are told, the characters created, and the scenarios that challenge, move and awaken us to who we are, and who we wish to be. Sure, there are redemptive elements to watching these shows (who doesn’t need a good cry every once in a while?). But, more than that, I love how we can muse over, argue over, and fangirl over our favorite actors, actresses, characters, music, and storyline. It is the love of story that binds us together. I love what a warm community it has been for me. Truly, I feel blessed to be able to chat excitedly about our newest drama obsession together.

Thanks so much for being my “joyful” friends around the world!

Love,
February

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