Unrequited Love?

Unrequited Love. Seems silly, pathetic, and self inflicted because it is a choice. The dictionary defines unrequited as unanswered or not returned in kind. So unrequited love would be love that is not answered or not returned in kind. Having given this much thought, it would be difficult to have love that is not returned in kind unless at some point there was love that was returned in kind. Of course I guess that parents could sometimes feel unrequited love when their children are straying or are at that age were parents seem to know nothing. At that point parents could have such an incredible amount of love for their children that is not returned. Hopefully at some point, they are able to work through it. But in a romantic sense, when people say they have unrequited love, I’m not sure that I believe it. Unless there was a relationship there before that has ended on at least one persons part. Yet, despite my feelings, stories, tv shows, books and major motion pictures are centered around “Unrequited Love.” I think a more appropriate term would be “unrequited care.”  Because you can learn to care about someone and have feelings for them, but love… love is a two-sided emotion, better yet. It is a two-sided action. Love is an action, and a feeling. It cannot be developed without the other person. But you can care. So…unrequited love, probably not. Unrequited care, I’m a professional.