Open to Love

The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnified world in itself. Henry Miller

Sometimes in life, mysterious things happen which we do not see or understand or believe. In our desire to make sense of the unbelievable, we scramble around searching for meaning, for some reason why, only to come up empty handed.

Sometimes, the only answer to 'why' truly is the answer our parents gave and we gave as parents. "Because it is so."

Life is a constant journey of one moment leading into the next, of one event flowing into another, seemingly at times without rationale cause, without direction without some 'grand plan' or design.

There are moments when, as a mother, I wish I had a better answer for my daughters than, 'Because it is so." I wish I could swipe a beautiful magic wand and make pain and fear and heartache disappear. I wish I could carry their pain and leave them free to dance in the sunlight, to run through rain showers and shimmer in the rising moon.

But I can't.

I can never take away someone else's pain. Never make sense of turmoil in someone else's life, no matter how much I might want to or even try.

And when someone I love is in a place of pain and turmoil, all I can offer is the one thing that never ends, Love.

All I can do is love them, love me, love the world around me and know, and believe and embrace the truth -- love is all that counts. Love is all that matters.

I have been off work for a week now. Away from the daily turmoil and drama of a homeless shelter, it is easy to see how I can become so wrapped up in the world around me, I lose sight of the people closest to me in this world, my friends and family.

Last night, a girlfriend dropped by to visit. My daughters and a friend dropped in, my girlfriend's husband dropped in and when C.C. came home, he lit up the barbecue and we shared a meal.

Sitting there in the garden, the water spouting, or as C.C. likes to joke, spewing, from the lion's head fountain. The trees shading us, the scent of flowers a delicate fragrance on the evening breeze, I knew love. I could feel it. Embrace it. Hold it and be held in its embrace.

No matter what life brings. No matter the turmoil, angst, hardship or heartbreak, love is all that counts.

Life brings us challenges. We succeed in life when we rise to the challenges and move through each moment aligning who we are with everything we do. Sometimes, we may move with grace and ease, dignified in our every word and action. Sometimes, we may stumble and falter, awkward in our every response.

No matter how we move, when we surrender and fall in love, with every step we take we are beauty in motion, a world of love in action.

Life is filled with wonder. And life is filled with the unbelievable. Sometimes, the wonder comes on a field of sorrow we cannot believe we will ever endure. No matter how life appears and opens up the moment before us, it is up to each of us to open ourselves up to the wonder of the world around us, and, in spite of our pain, or suffering, stay open to Love.