Last night I was watching something that brought me to an aha moment. Across my screen came a phrase that said “Love is the Greatest Adventure”. After reading that and pondering on my past, I began to realize that my life had far more love in it than I had imagined or remembered. And if I would have chosen it, my difficult times could have been far less difficult. In the days when people are presenting truths from a place of fear, hurt, pain, anger, and hatred, a time when people are destroying others lives in their quest to they themselves heal, I have been searching for the definition of love and a way to present it in my life as a replacement for the others.
The fact is that evil exists. It is in each one of us and we use it to cause pain and destroy. The question is how do we defend or protect ourselves against it? How do we find the power to fight it when it is happening to us? How do we get over the wake it leaves behind if we were powerless to fight it? When do we stand up? How do we stand up? Are we justified in trying to destroy what it was that took our power away? Are we justified in presenting evil to evil? I think I could add a million questions and even then not know the appropriate answers. All I do know is that in the moments I walk in love, I am a happier, lighter, more joyful, fun-loving person.
In my search for how to define love, I came to understand that faith and forgiveness had to come front and center. It is difficult at times to love or show it, and I find myself in split seconds having to beg for faith and forgiveness to come forward, so that I do not do or say something I will regret. Sometimes I fail miserably, the other times though are so worth the struggle it took me to get there, in how they lighten my life, my soul, and my body.
I may have shared something with you in an earlier post, but after re-reading it and viewing it in a completely different light, I wanted to share it again. My mother copied these words on a piece of paper and gave them to me when I was sixteen. I have re-written them when the pieces of paper have gotten to frayed or damaged. I have, though, carried them on my person for nearly forty years. They are words written by Laura Hendricks and published, more than once, by Ann Landers in her advice column. They go like this: “What is Love? Love is friendship caught fire; it is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection, and makes allowances for human weaknesses. Love is content with the present, hopes for the future, and does not brood over the past. It is the day-in and day-out chronicles of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you do not have it, no matter what else there is, it is not enough.”
I would like to think that I have kept all of this in mind in my chosen relationships, however, I am attempting to learn to broaden my scope. With that said, I am beginning to believe that love is so much more. It is the smile at the stranger whether he/she returns it or not, it is the kindness shown to someone in need, it is the holding of a hand to comfort or lead, it is the tears that run down your face when you share in someone’s grief, it is the time we take to listen to what others say, it is the taking of time in search of truth, it is the recognition of beauty in all that exists, it is laughter shared among strangers and friends, it is a simple hello, a held open door, and it is the seconds we let others know that we see them. Most humans just want to know they are not alone.
When I view my life in this light, as an adventure of love, I realize that I have been fortunate to recognize many moments with strangers, friends, and family alike. I hope you like me, will begin to notice, that those moments you would not have equated with love, truly are, and that love truly is the greatest adventure we can take and be on. So today, as you go about your day, try to recognize the positive you put out into the world, and realize those are moments of love. Spread those, relish in those, enjoy those, and try to repeat. As always, if you want to add, correct, enhance, or share yourself on one of my posts, please do. We are waiting for you to share your life with us.
Andrea, I have been thinking about you and our conversation as I continue to work on my book. In my quest to be love, made of love, and surrounded by it, I continue to realize that the only boundaries it has are the ones I put on or around it. Though I will fail sometimes because I am human, I am continuing to try to make choices that remove those boundaries. At the same time, I am trying to recognize that evil cannot be cured, it can only be fought against and defeated. Life’s struggle to know when to fight and when to embrace. I am learning and hoping that in going internally and to God, I will know when to make these choices. If the plane taught me one thing, that is, when I open to love coming in, it will arrive from people, in places, at times, I may never have expected, but obviously needed. Sadly, there is so much negative, anger, hate and evil being put out in this world today, it is truly hard to not absorb it, but we must try to do the best we can to counteract all of that with love. If only in seconds, or minutes, it is good for us and good for the receiver. Thank you for being you.. Here is to new and lasting friendships forming… 🙂
Thank you so much for providing those words on a day that my soul needs it most, just as you did on the plane…