By Jordan Yates
Agape is a word of ancient Greek origin that roughly translates to selfless, unconditional, or divine love. While it is often used in religious contexts to define the love between humans and God, I am using it to represent the highest form of love.
As I came of age, I entered a period that showed me what it meant to lose. I was raised between two families full of adults and the elderly. This set me up for life in ways I could not have imagined. An unconditional love from my family and friends enabled me to see the rights and wrongs about navigating growing up in the modern world. Realistically, I couldn’t ask for more. Alas, our lives ebb and flow.
In my first year of college, I slowly lost my grandmother Evangeline to pancreatic cancer. She was the only person in my immediate family that I’ve lost. In the wake of her passing I learned a lot about her life, what she did, and how she was a monumental force of life for everyone she touched. As I looked inward I came to better understand the power of love in the connections we share with everyone. It is what moves us forward and brings us life, time after time.
