Grief may seem like a terrible place to begin the discussion of love, but when we start learning what love is, we quickly find that grief is what sustains our capacity for love for a lifetime.

One thing that is for sure: Sometimes life is going to hurt. Even the people we love will sometimes disappoint us with their words and actions. Then, of course, there are the big hurts of life: the death of someone special, a painful breakup, divorce, or the betrayal of a friend.

These are things that have the potential to close our hearts, cause us to build emotional walls, and keep everyone out. When life hurts, we need a comeback story. We need a path of healing to keep our hearts open to love.

Yes, life hurts, but there is some good news:

Some things in life leave a hole in your heart, but you can live a really good life with a hole in your heart.

Grief is our way back. It is the way to get past the temptation to push people away and embrace the relationships in our lives.

For more on grief as the foundation for relationships of love, check out my YouTube Video on the first component of love.