"When was the last time you looked into the eyes of your beloved and asked, "who are you, my darling?" Don't be satisfied by a superficial answer. Ask again: "who are you who has taken my suffering as your suffering, my happiness as your happiness, my life and death as your life and death? My love, why aren't you a dewdrop, a butterfly, a bird?" Ask with your whole being. If you do not give right attention to the one you love, it is a kind of killing. When you are in the car together, if you are lost in your thoughts, assuming you already know everything about her, she will slowly die. But with mindfulness, your attention will water the wilting flower. "I know you are here, beside me, and it makes me very happy." With attention, you will be able to discover new and wonderful things—her joys, her hidden talents, her deepest aspirations. If you do not practice appropriate attention, how can you say you love her?"
- Thich Nhat Hanh (The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching)
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