What is love? Grandma Hazel.

On Valentine's day, I remember my Grandma Hazel, who showed us love in so many ways: hugs and kisses, generosity, creative gifts, acceptance of all, and rarely a unkind word against anyone. She wrote beautiful letters, in beautiful script for as long as I can remember. Always telling us she loved us. Never asking for anything in return.

Happy Valentine's Day.

If you're lucky, it finds you for a while.

The thing is, love can end anytime.
We look for it all our lives. In people. In things. In our surroundings.
Sometimes in ourselves.

And just when we forget about it and relax, there it is.
Like sunlight suddenly glinting your eye from the side
While you're driving your car.

It found you.

And so you laugh and relax into your new found joy.
Wondering if you should be holding your breath.

And then poof, it's shut off.
Crashed into a tree and evaporated.
Before you could say, "wait."

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't accept love
When it shows up at your door.
Whether quietly knocking, or boldly banging.

Rather, open your arms.
Invite it in. As long as it wishes to stay.
Knowing that love, as all things, is temporary.
We are temporary.

Maybe your magic will last a day. Or a year. Or a lifetime.
It is a little sad. But it is also beautiful.

In memory of my dad, Keith.
Who had a Great Love with my mom, Kathy. While it lasted.
He died 27 years ago today.

"To be content in bliss, without desire or insistence anywhere.
To be content in heaven: to be together in happy stillness."
- DH Lawrence

Old wisdom

1 Corinthians:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

One of my favorite verses from the bible, a good friend mentioned it tonight when while we discussed relationships. We both are in the waves of confusion of relationships. The waves seem more frequent but less large than when I was younger. Somehow I feel more patient, more peaceful and less stressed about knowing the future and knowing outcomes. When I was younger, I wanted to to plan, to have predictions. But so many dreams crashed against the rocks. I think now, "One day at at time, no rash decisions. Wait for peace. Let it happen."

Trying to see others from a place of love in my heart gets me further in my understanding (who can see much through anger?) and softens me to a place where I want to be. I'd forgotten this lately. I'm going to work again on seeing the world from place of love in my heart. I think it if we all did this, the world would be a better place.

I heartily agree with this one...

"If travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it's a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end."

Pico Iyer - Salon.com March 3, 2000

For full text of this amazing essay, click here.

Heppy Valentine's Day...

"Love is everything it's cracked up to be. It really is worth fighting for,
being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk
everything, you risk even more."

- Erica Jong

What is the point?

Sometimes I wonder, "Do I talk too much?" (probably) or "Why should I bother meeting so many new people, having so many transient conversations?" But I can't seem to stop it. I think it's about understanding our fellow humans and loving each other. Underneath this outer form, this body, we are all the same.

Yesterday, the Herald had a snippet on Jimmy Carter's recent trip to Israel, questioning why he was visiting there. He said, "Middle East peace can only be achieved by talking to all sides." It reminded me of this quote I'd written in my journal a while back from the introduction to "Of Mice and Men."

"Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other."
-John Steinbeck

If you want to read the interview with Jimmy Carter: "Jimmy Carter: Israel must talk to everyone."

Thank you for being a part of me

To all of you
who have shined in my life
and loved me in some way
I wish you happiness in your soul
and love in your heart
on this Valentine's Day.
Love, Sara