Each time you love, love as deeply as if it were forever.

Audre Lorde, the warrior-poet and voice of truth, once offered this immortal counsel: “Each time you love, love as deeply as if it were forever.” In her words resounds both command and blessing, for she speaks not of love as a fleeting pleasure, but as a sacred act, one that must be embraced with the fullness of the heart. To love shallowly is to waste the flame; to love deeply is to honor the gift, whether it lasts a moment or an eternity.

The meaning of Lorde’s words is that love, in all its forms, is never guaranteed to endure outwardly, yet it must always endure inwardly in the depth with which we give ourselves. Many fear love because it may one day end, whether through distance, betrayal, or even death. But Lorde teaches that such fear is misplaced. The value of love is not measured by its length, but by its intensity, by the courage with which we give our whole selves. To love as if forever is to honor the beloved and to enrich our own souls, even if time should sever the bond.

The origin of these words lies in Lorde’s life as a Black woman, a mother, a feminist, and a poet who lived with urgency. She battled injustice with fire, and later battled cancer with the same uncompromising honesty. She knew the fragility of life, and thus she urged others never to waste the moments given. For her, love was not only romantic but communal, a force that sustained resistance and bound people together in solidarity. Her call to love deeply was a call to live deeply, to resist the numbing of the spirit in a world that often wounds.

History too bears witness to this truth. Think of Antony and Cleopatra, whose love shook the empires of Rome and Egypt. Though their union ended in tragedy, the depth with which they loved one another was so profound that their story echoes through centuries. Or recall Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, whose relationship was turbulent, scarred, and yet filled with passion so fierce that it transformed their art. In both examples, the love was not easy, nor was it everlasting, yet it was lived as though it were forever—and that depth gave it immortality.

The lesson for us is that fear of loss must never keep us from giving ourselves fully to love. Whether in romance, in friendship, in family, or in devotion to a cause, we must not hold back out of caution. For guarded love is pale and thin, but fearless love nourishes the soul. Even if the relationship fades, the love you gave becomes part of who you are, leaving behind wisdom, tenderness, and strength. To love deeply is never wasted—it is always transformation.

Practical wisdom flows from this: when you love, do not ration your affection as though it were coin. Speak your truth, show your care, and let your actions reveal the fire of your heart. Do not postpone kindness for another day, for the time is always now. If you love someone, love them wholly, without apology. And if love departs, carry no regret—for you have lived bravely, and that courage will prepare you for love again.

Thus, Audre Lorde’s words endure as more than a suggestion—they are a command to live without fear. “Each time you love, love as deeply as if it were forever.” For though life is uncertain, though people may come and go, the depth with which we love is eternal. It leaves its mark upon the soul, upon the world, and upon the future. To love deeply is to live fully, and to live fully is the highest honor we can give to the brief, burning gift of life.