hi Patty, there was a time when i was very confused about unconditional love and for a time in my life i also questioned what it was, how it could be, and for a time i pondered the relationships between people and for awhile i saw love and people from your angle, that is, as conditional.. at the time it gave me some security to know what was expected of me, what was expected of others and it seemed like it all should be a pretty fair deal if we all gave/received equally... but there was something missing in it all for me... what if i couldnt deliver what was expected of me? was i then unworthy of love? i couldnt deal with that, it seemed too automated and unitized for me, knowing my exact worth was only what i could give to others... being depressed there were many times i was unable to give the thing others needed and it made me feel more valueless than i did already...

when we attach trade value to people we create a situation where everything (and i mean everything) is for sale.. a loaf of bread has the same value as the human body, something i can buy, manufacture and sell...

there is an unconditional love greater than what you are thinking.. it is the unconditional love of God, or Spirit, or any name you might choose to prefer to call the Higher Power... the love from this being is greater than what any mere human can achieve... no matter what we might have done in our past, the unconditional love we are unable to receive from people, is available from this source, whatever you imagine that source to be...

many people are in tune with this great source of unconditional love and tho they are not great beings themselves, they attempt to bring that love into the world and share it with others with hope that its kindness might heal misunderstanding and divisions among the people of the world...

the hope they share is what feeds the hungry, clothes the poor, gives shelter to those in need... and the needs are many... without this great love our planet would be in far worse shape.. think how much better shape it might be in if more people shared this love and faith?

the difference between conditional and unconditional love is a matter of the difference between faith in humans and faith in God and while this sounds like a post that might be better placed in Spirituality forum, i can think of no greater unconditional love than that of God...

may you have a blessed and wonderful day