Love Does What?

An introduction to the “why not?” attitude of love

Love Does What?

Emma Sanders, Copy Editor

Love Does, by Bob Goff, is more of a reflection of a way of life, rather than an instruction book on how to love. However, it does offer an unconventional way of doing love. Love Does explains that love is not just something you say, or texting ❤️, but rather love is in what you do.

In his book, Bob Goff recounts all of the crazy adventures in his life, like taking his son to ride motorcycles on the tops of sand dunes, and freeing children in Uganda. Goff’s adventures, while some are Goff family tradition, many are accidental. Goff is the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Uganda to the United States, and became so on a dare. Essentially, Love Does is a collection of stories from Goff’s life that have life lessons. These lessons can be approached from so many different perspectives, that they apply to so many different kinds of people in so many different walks of life.

Love Does redefines love in a way that is foreign but doable. Our culture teaches us that love is this feeling above our heads, movies tell us that love is this concept of risk and sacrifice for the object of your affections, but in reality, love is in what we do, even in the most trivial moments and humorous situations.

The new concept of love that Love Does adresses, is a love of all. A passion and enthusiasm for life and all of its infinite possibilities, a love for all people no matter their past or future, and a fierce determination. In other words, a love that is not exclusively romantic, but rather a friendly love, a familial love, a romantic love, and a life love.

The new and profound definition of love that Goff introduces is something so simple, that we overlook it. In its simplest form, my friend Katie Beaudry explained that Goff’s tangible and mental interpretation of love is “why not?”

And I think that is exactly how we should approach love of all kinds. With a whimsical attitude of “why not?” What do we have to lose by saying yes?

Love Does is a book that combines life lessons, the elements of life, and the struggles of falling dreams and surprising opportunities. I totally get that not everybody has some of the crazy and wild opportunities that Bob Goff has had in his life, but I do know that everybody has a choice to make whenever they encounter an opportunity. We can either jump into it, or we can close the door.

Love not only walks through doors, but flies through them.