Love Always Wins

At Oregon Country Faire last year, a good friend of mine, Ayla, held up a totem sign that read in rainbow print: “Love Always Wins.” I didn’t anticipate how true that statement would prove to me, and how much it seems everyone needs to hear it.

Ayla’s backstory behind the sign was emotionally captivating and profoundly moving. Despite enduring prolonged, tragic heartbreak, Ayla surmounted these challenges by consistently believing that love will conquer all obstacles. It is rare to meet someone with an honest tenacity to choose happiness, and that little smile is certainly contagious.

This mentality saved me from allowing negative influences to deteriorate my own well-being. During this same weekend, when I was privileged to hear Ayla’s wisdom, I was also experiencing my own unprecedented trials. I had escaped to Oregon Country Faire in efforts of avoiding the toxic atmosphere that awaited me in my apartment. Deep-seeded betrayals from supposed friends had a few of my best comrades holding each other more close than ever before. Coping with grand theft at the hands of a roommate, battling severe illness in another, and struggling to make all the ends meet was incredibly draining in every facet. None of us could have been prepared for the months of heartache we endured.

To paint a more clear picture: before we learned that a roommate of ours had stolen over a thousand dollars worth of goods from us, we had no other explanation for the lost valuables other than that someone was breaking into our home every night. We set up a security camera and changed our door access, but remained completely at a loss. We believed our lives were in danger every single night. For a long time, we had no leads to find solace and learned to rely on each other for a sense of sanity.

The symbolism in this photo accurately depicts the emotions our lives became defined by.  Our kindness and support for each other were resilient, despite being surrounded by malicious influences. We found a tragically beautiful silver lining: building the strongest bonds of friendship I could imagine, yet due to sharing a horrifying experience.

With each others’ love and encouragement, we’ve all been able to transition to much better points in our lives. While these challenges were brutal, I firmly accredit our happy endings to the genuine power of friendship. Now, we’ve been able to walk away from this cruel period in our lives with a newfound capacity to love.

From Ayla’s story to my own, it’s become undeniable that love truly does always win. Define that success however it means to you, but it remains evident that love is the triumphant force at the end of all trials. We have only valuable lessons learned from this experience, rather than battle scars, thanks to the healing force of love we shared with one another. In every dark corner, you can find the light of benevolence, whether within your companions or within yourself.

I urge everyone to consider this mentality because it will ring true in any situation, as long as you choose to incorporate it. We never have to allow detrimental influences to completely hurt us. Love is an unwavering and consistently accessible source of peace, support, and healing. Trust in the force of honest love and friendship. True love only has the intentions for goodness, and that’s why it will always win.