Unconventional Love, Moving Forward

Forward, not backward

By Jana N. Yost, M.A., APCC | Coach & Consultant

This month I will be sharing about Unconventional Love. What is unconventional love? It is love that lives outside of the box and beyond what is considered normal. Normal love is shaped by expectations and comparisons, while unconventional love is shaped by authenticity. It is accepting your own story instead of striving to become someone else. After all, comparison is the thief of joy.

We all carry different understandings of feelings and emotions, and those differences shape how we relate to others. What I see and experience may not look the same to someone else.. The same is true of love, and that is what makes it “unconventional”.

The Central Valley is rich with culture, rooted in agriculture, and shaped by generations of diverse communities. Life here is closely connected. Families know each other, routines are shared, and stories overlap. Love can start to feel measured instead of lived.

Service life often deepens this tension. Love is lived though long hours, missed moments, and seasons that do not look like what others expect. It requires commitment that is not visible by others. For service families, love is less about how it appears and how it holds through change.

Have you ever listened to a speaker, a friend or someone else that tells the same story over and over, as if they are stuck in the moment or event? Each time they speak, you know where the story is going, and you find yourself wanting to step away. Not because you don’t care, but because their story never moves forward. Their words keep the conversation anchored in a moment that should of passed away.

Unconventional love invites us to do something different. It calls us to honor our story without staying stuck in it. It allows space for growth, and looking ahead rather than living in what once was.