Work of Attending in LOVE

In my reading of THE ROADLESS TRAVELED, Peck talks in the section Work of Attention that Love is a form of work or a form of courage.  When we love another we give him or her our attention; we attend to that person’s growth.   Attention is an act of our will.  Love is a two way street where  invariably the receiver gives and the giver also receives.

One of the more important way we give attention is by listeninng.  Listening is very difficult to do well and it is hard work. True listening, total concentration on the other, is always a manifestation of love. There is no better and ultimately no other way to love people than by showing them you value them.

Another form of attending is to spend time with them.  It may look like game playing if it is a child or it could be family activities day trips somewhere.  The important things is the time spent. Basically to attend is to spend time with, and the quality of the attention is proportional to the intensity of the concentration during that time.