Forgotten Love?

I'm usually not "philosophical" (I'm either goofy, or analytical), but I was chatting with a friend tonight, and it got me thinking about something...

Can one "forget" what it's like to love, or be in love (to be more specific)? I mean, obviously I love my family, and my friends, so love isn't a foreign concept to me. There was a time when I was deeply *in love*, so I'm no stranger to that state of being either.

I do have a lot of female friends, and I do have a lot of fun with them (mostly chatting), and yes, some of them are quite attractive. I do find myself feeling protective of them sometimes (that's always been my thing), but I sometimes wonder if I'll ever truly be in love again, or if I already *have*, but somehow 'glossed over it'.

See, I've gotten into a different mindset (in recent years) with regards to "love". I'm definetly all for it, but I don't feel... I guess "worthy" is the most appropriate thing here. That's not to say I don't have anything to offer, but there are also things about me that I feel a potential mate shouldn't have to deal with. Like my recent health issues. But I wonder if I am keeping people at a distance, either due to my own feelings of inadequacy, or in trying to be so *certain* that it's love, that I'm actually circumventing the process?

It's not that I have anybody specific in mind, I care about all of my friends, and yes, many of them qualify as "potential spouses", I just wonder if I'm short changing myself... Something for all the singles who read my blog to ponder :)

And to all, good luck with your own love experiences!