When love doesn't come naturally, start by wanting to want to

There are times when you don't feel affection, patience or any wish to go near someone. Demanding an instant emotion of yourself can lead you to pretend; waiting with folded arms for it to appear can leave the relationship abandoned. "Wanting to want to" opens an in-between step. Your heart isn't yet where you would like it to be, but you can ask God for help, not feed contempt and make a small gesture that prepares the ground. Not every bond should be kept and not every closeness is safe. But when it's clear that you owe that person affection, this desire keeps you from turning the lack of feeling into a final verdict. The heart is also educated by honest, repeated decisions.