Expressions of Love

About the Book

Have you ever experienced a life-changing event? Have you had your heart broken? Have you questioned if you would ever find true love? These are questions that have plagued me most of my life. Life-changing events, such as finding a new job, getting married, having children, getting a divorce, losing a job, losing a friend or family member are things that happen to all of us at some point during our lives. How we view and handle these life changes is the key to our survival. But the real question is how does one get through a life changing event? I can tell you it’s not easy. But with help from family, friends and lots of prayer, one can discover that one of the most important things in life is finding love. At one time, I thought I had reached the top of the mountain in my personal life, and then suddenly it all came tumbling down. I have experienced several life-changing events since that time; divorce, loss of a friend, loss of jobs. The pain was devastating to me as well as my family and at that point I didn’t know how or if we would get through it. One morning as I was looking out my window, I started searching for the answers to some of the questions that were bouncing around in my head. I had spent several sleepless nights lying in bed wondering why this was happening to me. At first, I started writing down my feelings. They were just random thoughts with very little meaning at this point. Many of them were related to the “why” questions. I knew and felt I was searching for an answer to something. This is when I started writing what I called “expressions.” These random thoughts were first put down as an outline or a particular feeling I had at that point in my life. They soon became the glue or stability in my life that helped me cope with each traumatic situation. For me, these expressions served as an outlet to recognize what was most important in my life and also made me realize that finding true love is possible, if only you open your heart and be patient. I have compiled a collection of my expressions in a book titled Expressions of Love in which I would like to share with my readers. Each expression defines my thoughts, feelings, and continued journey of finding true love. Each of the five sections is designed to evoke thought and guide you as you are confronted with life’s challenges. Although this book refers directly to “love” circumstances, it can also be applied to the other challenges in life such as loss of family member or friend and even loss of a job. My hope is that these expressions will serve as an inspiration for those who have experienced the confusion, pain and challenges of life and love. Read each expression with an open heart and open mind. Allow them to guide you through your journey in search of finding your own true love.

About the Author

James C. Flaugher was born on December 2, 1957, in Charleston, West Virginia, and moved to Decatur, Illinois, while he was a small child. Except for the twenty years he spent in the United States Marine Corps, he has always stayed close to that Illinois town. James graduated from Lakeview High School in 1976 and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1980. During his military career, he also attended school at Central Texas College (business administration—AA, 1996), Campbell University (business administration—BA, 1998) and achieved his master’s degree in human resources development at Webster University in 2000 (with academic honors). He retired from the Marine Corps as staff sergeant E-6 on October 31, 2000. For the past nine years he has worked as human resource manager at both the company and corporate levels and has taught various business courses at several colleges and universities. Unshared knowledge is a waste of energy . . . James believes in this very strongly. Through his life he has climbed many mountains and forged through many valleys. He believes that it is the struggles in life that make you what you become. During the trials he has gone through, he has never lost sight of the light at the end of the tunnel, which in his case is true love. His belief in finding that one true love is what gives him the strength to continue on in that pursuit. James has had his share of life experiences in the field of searching, finding, experiencing, losing, and healing love. Hopefully, in reading Expressions of Love you will understand that love can be found anywhere but at the same time can be lost without warning. This will leave open wounds that only time can heal. James has realized that you can never take love for granted. He is hoping that in “sharing” his thoughts and feelings with the world, someone might receive the strength they need to seek that one true relationship that will last forever.