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*Brian Wilcox. 'movings'. Flickr.
to connect with others, in Love,
is not the negation of the self
but the fulfillment of the self
I say my goodbye to the wife, she is nearing death. The husband, he is wearied by caring for his love of over fifty years. This day, especially, I have observed his fatigue and unease. After prayer, I walk outside to leave. Walking toward my truck, the husband comes out of the house. His former downcast, wearied face is now aglow. He has a paper in his hand, one like he had given me before - a religious newspaper published in the tiny town nearby. He is beaming with joy, while he hands me the paper. In this moment, this small act appears to him more than small, to be truly magnanimous. I smile, receiving it, and give gratitude. The paper is published by religious fundamentalists, and I had never found the contents agreeable or enjoyable. Yet, again, I take the paper, as before. Today, the gift feels especially dear to me. I know it is coming from Love, I know this man, grieving his spouse slipping away, needs to show this Love, and I need to cherish him loving me in this simple way. I take the paper home and keep it for several weeks. Some would say, "Why did you do that?." I say, "Why not? That little newspaper was so much more."
* * *
we are born here
reaching out
* * *
We can focus on the negative, and feel the world is falling apart. A small shift of heart, and we see Love everywhere. We often miss this for we are not looking for love in the apparently subtle, small ways love shows up in our lives everyday.
* * *
I, still, see a most endearing sign of love to me. I worked at a jail in South Florida. I lived with my two dogs, St. Francis, a black lab, and Bandit Ty, a pointer mix. The windows of my dwelling had vertical blinds, floor to ceiling. On driving into the driveway from work, my two dear friends would be slipping their heads through the blinds, one white with black spots, one black, and looking happily outside, glad to see me home. Those two faces, expectant and enthused, were signs of a love I still cherish with each memory. While my two friends are gone, both deceased, those smiles and that love live on, and will.
* * *
In the same way we learn many things, we can learn to see differently, to see kindness and goodwill everywhere. We can see that our natural propensity is not not to love, but to love, to transcend ourselves in connection with others. We can see that though a person may not be skillful at showing love, nevertheless he or she is showing it, and wants to love and be loved as much as we do. Our nature is to discover and celebrate ourselves through the movings of Love.
*Brian Wilcox. 'a lovely welcome'. Flickr.
(C) Brian K. Wilcox, 2019
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