Seldom does this search take the form of asking the really important question: What can I make of myself that would make me worthy to give and receive such love? We want to bask in the warmth of devotion that overlooks, even indulges, our failings. Apart from our mothers, this pleasure can be a little hard to find—or to maintain over time. What I

To love is not to ask anything in return, not even to feel that you are giving something—and it is only such love that can know freedom.