Our modern era brings with it plenty of occasions in which dedicating our time solely to one individual is perceived as a hassle. Doing so means that we sacrifice time that could be spent on the Internet, watching our favorite television shows or sports casts, listening to music, playing video games and completing work not yet finished. We often make excuses for ourselves by claiming that chores, gaming or T.V. viewing is our dedicated friends and family time, yet these activities don’t quite provide us with the feeling of connectedness that we, as humans, desire and need.

The family dining table, the stamped envelope, the pathway to the park and the distinct ring of a telephone all carry with them a small sense that we may be commencing toward a memory worth saving. Neither our computer applications nor our television screens carry a similar sensation and, while shopping may carry with it a pleasing sense of security, this activity, too, falls short of creating the loving memories that we so often return to in times of loneliness and despair.

Cultivating a strong bond between yourself and another requires a focus on the individual that is void of disruptive external stimuli. Turning the television off, activating silent mode on a cell phone and removing yourself from the chaos of a shopping center demonstrates your desire to be completely in the present moment with the person you have chosen. Deciding together on activities that require conversation and exclusive interaction allow you both to develop knowledge of each other, providing an opportunity for growth through and with one another.

Physical activities such as hiking, exploring, exercising, and participating in sports or laborious volunteer opportunities contribute healthy options of investing time in a manner that allows you to personally gain strength while motivating each other. Creative activities such as cooking, crafting, gardening and artistic endeavors allow you to exercise your original potential in tandem with another. Sharing skills or hobbies as well as learning new skills will go far to develop lasting connections with the person you have chosen to spend these moments with.

Once these connections are formed, continuing to demonstrate your desire for a person’s company through activities and conversations is vital. If that person happens to travel away from your locality, keeping in touch through telephone and written conversation can become an essential method of maintaining authenticated love for that person. Even if the actions aren’t always reciprocated, knowing that they are on the receiving end of your manifested love will bring a sense of comfort to you both, thus strengthening your bond with that person.

Perhaps the simplest and purest expression of love, then, is found within the moments we spend with or for another. In those moments we build a foundation for a future with that person. Even if that future is cut short or we lose sight of what was once between us and another, love echoes through our memories as a reminder to us that what once existed still does – even if the residue of what has past glosses over these truths with lies used to protect ourselves from pain. In those memories, we have created a sense of eternity and everlasting love out of the time we spent dedicated to the individuals we feel that love for.