Indira Kesari

Once upon a time I pondered, what is love for real?

Is it merely a kind of emotion (just like sadness, happiness, disappointment, anger) or is it more than that?

Can love fade in certain period of time? How long does it last anyway?

Where does love come from?

What are the things that stimulate love to grow, or how can love be nourished? Have we been glorifying love?

Citing the legendary sayings of Thich Nhat Hanh,

“To love without knowing how to love wounds the person we love. To know how to love someone, we have to understand them. To understand, we need to listen.”

Sounds simple but I suppose not so many people master the last one: the art of listening. So love isn’t just about feeling. It also means understanding.

That’s just one hell of a punch. Nhat Hanh also said that we have to understand the person we love so we can make them less suffered. I guess It’s the same rule for ourselves. Have we tried to understand what goes on in ourselves that makes us who we are today? Have we done any fixing yet? Have we focused on what we really need? Have we been somewhere we really wanna stand or at least trying to find our very own way to live?

I wrote that on 16th of October, about a month ago. I don't know why but this past two weeks my mind has been wondering, what love personally means to me. For instance, how could one random guy "come" into my life and gradually (at the same time effortlessly) become one of the most important person in my life? Or, why there have to be these intangible rules for loving somebody? Why does the compatible one leave? The thing is WHY. LOVE. HAS. TO. BE. COMPLICATED. That's that. Let that question sink in now let's dive into my playlist of the week.

🎵Click here to jump in and listen🎵

1) Man Like You - Tom Misch

This song sounds like reminiscing about someone whose journey in life seemed pretty poignant, but I also hear optimism somewhere in the lyrics. I love how Tom cultivated the nuance of this song. You'll get a warm introduction at the first two verses, then it'll pull you deeper on the instrumental part that somewhat contains a lot more emotional involvement, details, and flashbacks as the melody echoes. Reaching to the third verse, you get back on the intro but with a brand new vision about the story of this man. I'd also like to give credit to the original singer, Patrick Watson. Love them both.

"I knew a time, I knew a place that felt a lot like you."

2) Places We Won't Walk - Bruno Major

I love how this song doesn't contain the word "love" at all in its lyrics, but it totally speaks about love. This song makes me daydreaming about my love life in the future--in a very, very beautiful way. No words left to say anymore I cry.

"We will smile to end each day, in places we won't walk."

3) Japanese Denim - Daniel Caesar

"I'm so in love, so in love. There's no one above, up above. Forever's a long time."

4) The Most Beautiful Thing - Bruno Major

This song is so relatable at the moment. Picturing my future with someone who's not here yet is so much easier with this song, it's just so unique, you don't recognize him/her yet but you know exactly that they would be the most beautiful thing life gets you. An open letter to my most beautiful thing I've never seen yet (in a while? Maybe?):

Honestly where are you? Can you  just show the heck up a little earlier so we could spend our times together longer?!?!?!

"Someone I've already loved? Or will you find your way out of the blue?"

Also, Major and Finneas (the two combo songwriters) tell me something about love: Maybe it's just circumstance, or general compatibility. -- What's you take on this? 

5) I Will Spend My Whole Life Loving You - Imaginary Future & Kina Grannis

This is their wedding song, but I'm curious, did they cry when they write and produce this song together? Because listening to this song makes me sob like a bride standing in front of my husband, witnessing him making his vows with lots of love in his eyes. Tis I in the future.

"Isn't it crazy that we are born only to die? But lately I've been counting my stars, 'cause I will spend my whole life, loving you."

6) Distance - Yebba

Imagine you're sipping a glass of wine at night on the weekend, listening to this song whilst contemplating about those good old days with someone who's now out of reach. You'll get double relaxation.

"I still get so lost in the feeling, and I can't imagine losing you."

7) Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

I'm wrapping this week's playlist with my all-time favorite: Landslide. We all know that in reality, things could get ugly including love itself. No matter how splendid it may seem, there might be a pinch of bitterness in between. This song is basically about Stevie Nicks worrying about whether or not she could handle losing someone she truly loved, evaluating how the journey has to be ended. By the end of this song, she guides us into what we call acceptance. This song is akin to stages of grieving with immense maturity, colored by constant tranquility. Worth every second of your time.

"Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?"

Thank you for spending your time reading and listening to my weekly playlist. Out of 7 songs I mentioned above, which one is your favorite and why? Comment down below, let's have a proper social interaction!

Until next time.