Topic 3: Have you experienced unconditional love and how did it affect your life? Explain with examples.
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I have experienced the unconditional kind of love several times in my life, but on most occasions, it was with my close family. But there was this one act of love I felt from someone who's not family that made me still affirm that, truly, there is true love without expectation.
Some time back, a longtime friend of mine came to visit in town and stopped by my place. We've known each other since childhood. But as we grew, I was unlucky to gain admission to the university on time like he did. So while I was still in school, he was already working.
As usual, we did what friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time would do together. We hung out and did all that stuff.
He was supposed to travel the next day for work. But at night, I got so sick. Something I never imagined—the crazy part was that I didn't have cash with me at home or anywhere in this world at that time. But this friend of mine had to take me to the hospital that night, foot my hospital bills at a time when things were incredibly tough in my country, and still forfeit work the next day just to stay back and make sure I was a bit stronger.
Luckily, he was not sacked from work but was seriously queried.
Now here is the beat part. When I was okay and financially buoyant again, I opted to pay him back for the expenses he had incurred while I was sick, but he vehemently refused. No matter how I pleaded, no matter the trick I used to get his account details, even when I let him know that I just wanted to show appreciation for what he did, He declined my request. In his words:
What are friends for?"
To this day, I find it hard to say no to his request. He is a friend I wouldn't hesitate to have in my next life, if there are any.
That singular act made me feel loved—the unconditional type. The type of love that is not based on any conditions or expectations The type of love that is freely given without expecting anything in return. It is simply love that is based on acceptance and understanding.
I like to define unconditional love as a love that is pure and limitless, without any strings attached.