Love Heals All Wounds, but Does It?

I’m sure we’ve all heard the expression “love heals all wounds,” or some close form of the expression. It’s a beautiful thought process. It speaks to the power of love, and I do believe in the power of love, but does it heal all wounds?

In my experience, it’s just not true. I think many of us set ourselves up by believing that love can heal anything. Think about the parents dealing with children who are suffering with mental health and/or addictions. Can their love heal those wounds? No, it cannot. It’s very limiting and hurtful to believe it can. Think about the person who is madly in love with an unrequited love who no longer believes in love. Can love heal those wounds? No, it cannot. At least it can’t unless the person is willing to heal themselves.

The most important part about healing is the willingness of the person who needs the healing. We cannot heal anyone who isn’t open to it. No healer can. It’s just the truth of it. This is a hard truth, especially when we have a loved one that requires healing. We so desperately want to help that sometimes we forget that we cannot. We cannot fix anyone. We cannot take on anyone else’s journey. We can be there for others. We can offer support that is within our boundaries.

My experience with this has come in the form of an animal. As you may already know, my passion is animals. I want to rescue as many as I can. I want to help them find healthy and loving homes. My approach has so far been “all you need is love.” I mean, animals are very instinctual, so if I approach one with good intentions it should be open to it. Right? Wrong. What I’ve learned recently is that every soul has its own personality. Sometimes good intentions and love aren’t enough. Sometimes we just can’t offer the help they need. Sometimes we just have to admit that we don’t have all the answers. We have to admit that some wounds can’t be fixed by love, especially when someone doesn’t know how to accept love. Love can be a foreign concept to many. It can take a long time to accept and welcome love. Ultimately, it’s up to the recipient to decide whether to accept or reject. All we can do is continue to live authentically. We can continue to shine our love into those souls that are able to accept it. Those souls that are willing to heal with the power of love whilst remembering that we ourselves can also benefit from the healing effects of our own love.