There’s a sculpture I came across in a photo from Burning Man. The figures in the sculpture are of two adults after a disagreement, sitting with their backs to each other. There are so many feelings that circulate through our bodies when we are fighting with the person we love the most. Pain, frustration, rejection – they force us to shut down and shut out our lovers. However, within each adult is a child reaching out to the other, wanting to forgive and love. Our inner child represents a love that knows no boundaries.

For myself, I am a person that is hard to love. Trust is not something that comes easily for me, but it is something that I have to be willing to give. I am stubborn and have arguments with the person I love. However, he is teaching me to raise my words, not my voice.

We cannot be afraid to fight; we just have to remember to show love and respect to each other while we fight. This also means we need to breakdown and put everything on the table. We cannot be afraid to let the person we love see us at our weakest. This means when we fight with each other, we should not be afraid to reveal things from our past or explain why something is hurting us. Love will rip down the walls that the world has built up and create something beautiful in its' place.

Always, always remember to never leave things unresolved. Fighting tears our hearts open and leaves our emotions raw. We must patch up each other’s wounds afterwards or else the wound will get worse. It’s just like when you get a cut on your knee; you have to put a band-aid on the cut or else it’s going to get infected.

Love is unconventional. It forces us to take risks and be vulnerable, but it also teaches us to fight for what we love. Yes, it is the unconventionality of love that scares conventional people. But, we can overcome this fear by allowing our inner child to make us more free-spirited and open to love. Do not be afraid to fight; be afraid to hurt and wound each other. And most of all, love while fighting and forgive as a child does.