"At the beginning, we only love those that love us.
Then we learn to love sponteanously, but still waiting to be loved.
Later on we love without being loved, but hoping that our love will be accepted.
Finally, our love is so pure and simple that we just love without any motive just for the joy of love."  - Edna Contreras

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.” - Thomas Merton