Love without risk

I learned something about me today. Actually I learned this last summer but today it reappeared with clarity. This is purposely vague because the details do not belong only to me. But I spoke to someone I love, just opened my heart and let its words rise. They were thrown back at me today in an angry wave, and...the wave washed through me without any harm at all. I bowed my head a minute, expecting some recoil or objection to awaken and mount a defense. And it just didn't happen. I realized that I was bowing my head to honor his strong emotion, but where the wave actually touched me it was calm and moved smoothly through. My throat was aching, but I realized that was for his pain, not mine. Do I wish it were different? I don't know. I don't think I would have done anything differently because my motives were pure and I had no agenda in mind. But while I've had my love thrown away about a dozen times by lovers and partners and friends, this is the first time I've noticed that as it lies discarded, it's no less sparkling and warm among the other small treasures forgotten in the sand. I have not found it in me to love many (any?) people with that much largeness of heart. Now naturally it's the way of life on Planet Peg that an unprecedented piece of love and care still gets ashcanned with the many, many other less noble attempts. But today I'm planted true and I open my hands and I ask the next wave to come.