Monday, February 6, 2012

*Life is in the journey!* ~ Touched By Love



Life's Inspirational Valiant Endeavors
~ Touched By Love ~


“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return.”
~ A poet, "Moulin Rouge"



I was touched by love the first time my mother kissed her lips to my little fingers and toes. It was, indeed, love at first sight. And so the story goes, I spent the next thirty-something years of my life trying to recreate that once-in-a-lifetime, unconditional they say, instinctual perhaps, but nevertheless, magic of love.

I caught glimpses of it in my father’s eyes when he grinned at me, as I watched an ant climb up a mountain. I grew closer still when my little brother wrapped me in his arms and hugged me tight, after life had gotten a hold of us. Even as the love of my life, “my density”, pledges his heart to me after nineteen years of marriage (twenty-seven if we’re counting an incredibly long courtship), I am reminded that true love is in action. I know what it is to have come so close, the moment I, myself, kissed three sets of fingers and toes, renewing the cycle of life and a mother’s love.

I know what it is to love and to be loved.
I had simply forgotten, to love *me* along the way.

We spend a lifetime searching for love in all the wrong places, wonderful as some of them may be, short-lived as some of them most thankfully are ~ all our efforts in vain, seeking that which we have denied ourselves, only to realize that the love we’ve searched for in others, was to be found, not in them, but in us. 

I asked myself some time ago, when life had slowed just long enough for me catch my breath ~ What was it I was so afraid of, that I would avoid intimacy with those I was closest to, avoid asking for what I need, avoid looking into my own eyes, my own heart, for those answers I sought in others. I found my answers, my truths, only when I began to let go of my fear.

Touched by love, we create fear, so as never to breathe, to live, to exist in its absence. Where love is courageous and not easily explained, fear is primal and instantly acknowledged, settling into our very bones.


It is the human condition that we often times confuse love with fear. Our fear of change stunts our growth. Our fear of intimacy and success stifles our creativity. Our fear of sadness and the loss of our voice, breeds more fear. But it is our fear of letting go, by our own design, which keeps us always coming back for more. Love hurts, we are told. And, it must follow, as the night the day, so it must be love.

Love is the antithesis of fear.
Love is…

Freedom,
Strength,
and
Honor



Courage,
Passion,
and
Peace



Wisdom,
Beauty,
and
Healing




Patience,
Hope,
Faith,
and
Truth!




Love is…
Courage, in the presence of Chaos.
~ Love, is Love, is Love! ~


  This Valentine's Day
Share the Love My Friends!
This I Believe: On Love





“The best way out is always through.”
~ Robert Frost


11 comments:

  1. love can be difficult, esp. if you have insecurities. it can be hard to love yourself, and even love another.
    eventually once healed,or finding love for yourself, then you can reach out and love another.
    taking a chance can be worth the journey!
    -m

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  2. This journey is, most definitely, all about taking chances, in search of the elusive, though abundant, love.

    It comes to all, when we're ready to receive it.

    So glad you stopped in, m!

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  3. Love is an action verb. I believe that. :))

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  4. In the '80's I was struggling...in a joyless marriage...when the song "The Greatest Love" became popular I found my voice.....the greatest love is to 'love yourself'....kind of like when you place your oxygen on yourself first...then your child....take care of yourself and your children will , then, be taken care of, too....or....'if mama ain't happy.....NOBODY is happy :-)

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  5. Hi, L.G.!

    You are SO right!

    ***

    Suzy! You're here! Awesomeness!

    "The greatest love of all is inside of me." Powerful message.

    Thanks for dropping in!
    Love!

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  6. All we need is love, right!?!

    But seriously, sometimes its so hard to define and figure out what kind of love is best at any given moment.

    Great post Scarlett

    ps looking forward to checking out your friend's blog!

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  7. Right! I know it's hard. I guess, if it weren't hard, everyone would (have it all figured out ~ easy peasy)!

    Thanks, Johanna.
    And, DO visit sarah's blog if you get the chance. She has little ones like you do, and oh, Her Voice! So funny, so so thought-provoking, so true.

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  8. Love is powerful. I connected with much of what you said about fear. Still working through it. I Believe sounds like an amazing book.
    Catherine Denton

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  9. Hi, Catherine *wink and a smile*

    The 'This I Believe' series of books ARE amazing! You can follow the link below the picture in this post to see more, if you haven't already. OR... you can look on my sidebar and see that I have links to each individually below the 'This I Believe' photo.

    My cousin, Mary Jo Gediman and her husband, Dan Gediman, of Louisville, Kentucky are the editors and the facilitators of several of these in this series. Dan Gediman, with Jay Allison, brought 'This I Believe' back into the public's eye. Some essays from many of these books are currently read on the air on NPR.

    Inspiring and thought-provoking reading! I'm not just saying that because, I love My Mary Jo. *grin*

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  10. This is lovely. Thank you.

    My word for the year is love. And I'm still learning what exactly that means!

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  11. Hi, Em!

    Love is... trekking down to the barn in the bitter cold to feed, even though you're sick as a dog.

    ...or is that, responsibility. Hmmn. Well, yes.

    Love is... trekking down to the barn in the bitter cold to feed, even though you're sick as a dog... AND taking that fool dog along with you because she gave you THAT look, even though you know she'll pester you with that damn stick and be covered in mud by the time you get back to your front door. You know, that painful, "But I wanna play" look that says,
    Don't-You-Love-Me?

    Yeah, I'm still trying to figure it out myself. I guess it's just the way we humans are hard-wired.

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