What love we've given, we'll have forever. What love we fail to

Leo Buscaglia, the great teacher of the heart, once declared: “What love we’ve given, we’ll have forever. What love we fail to give, will be lost for all eternity.” In these words lies the eternal law of love—that it is not measured by what we receive, but by what we bestow. Love, once given, is indestructible; it becomes part of the soul’s treasure, carried beyond time. But love withheld is a flame never lit, a song never sung, forever absent from the music of creation.

The ancients knew this truth well. They taught that giving is the only way to make love real, for love hoarded in the heart is as useless as seed never planted. The Greeks spoke of agape, love poured out as a gift, which the gods themselves cherished above sacrifice. And in every tradition, from temple to hearth, love freely given was seen as the one possession that death itself could not steal.

Buscaglia warns of the sorrow of what is withheld. To fail to speak, to fail to embrace, to fail to act in love when the moment calls—these become wounds not only to others, but to the self. Such missed offerings are not preserved for another time; they vanish into the abyss, leaving only regret. Thus, love delayed is love denied, and love denied is lost to eternity.

Yet his words are not heavy with despair but radiant with hope. For every act of love given, no matter how small, is eternal. A smile, a word of kindness, a hand extended in compassion—all these enter the everlasting fabric of the universe. They shape the soul and echo across generations, proving that nothing given in love is ever wasted.

Let the generations remember: the measure of a life is not in wealth, nor in power, but in love bestowed. Give while the chance is yours, for tomorrow is not promised. And know this great comfort—that all love given is eternal, carried forward like light that never fades. As Buscaglia teaches, only love given endures, and only love withheld is truly lost forever.