Healthy Love

May 2, 2021

Good morning friends.  It’s crazy thinking we’re already at the first Sunday of May.  Time keeps marching forward, with no slowing down.  I hope you are all doing well, while staying happy and healthy.  Be sure you take plenty of “you time” to relax, de-stress and breathe.  Self-care and self-love are an important ingredient to maintain your personal health and wellness.  Living a healthy lifestyle requires each of us to care for our physical body, while we nurture a positive mental outlook and ensure a grateful spirit.  Loving ourselves is a necessity to set us on the right path, to enable each of us to share our love with others.  If you don’t respect and appreciate the love you have for your own being, how can you expect to share love with another human or living creature?  Loving yourself is the first step on your journey to share love with others. 

This coming week is my Dad’s birthday.  He would have been 99.  It’s difficult to believe he’s been gone over seven years.  Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him or speak to him.  I know he’s here, watching over me and our family.  He was always that kind of man; that ensured we were safe and happy.  His love for us and my love for him are stronger than ever.  Love of this intensity never falters or fades.  It is truly a love eternal.    

Love is an incredible and fabulous feeling.  It’s an intense, deep, pleasurable, intimate, amazing sensation, and so much more than words can describe!  Buddha beautifully answered the question, “what’s the difference between, I like you and I love you.”  He said, “When you like a flower, you just pluck it.  When you love a flower, you water it daily.  One who understands this, understands life.”   My life experience has shown me, when I “water” my soul daily, I am more grateful for life and appreciate love.

Have you ever taken the time to just sit and contemplate what “love” means to you?  When I returned home, after being on the road for two weeks, I did just that.  I reflected on the people I spent time with, saw, interacted, overheard or engaged in conversation.  My interactions with family and friends were filled with bountiful amounts of love entwined with all of our encounters.  My other contacts and situations (in airports, airplanes, hotels, restaurants, etc.), were with strangers, or simply overheard dialogue.  What I concluded; “love has a variety of meanings, interruptions and definitions for everyone.”  We each visualize and experience love through our own eyes.  How we perceive it is based on our past experience, how we think and how we’ve shared these feelings.  They’re all valid to each of us, typically based on the past events, lessons learned or beliefs.  I believe, like with most topics and life issues, it’s always important to take time to reflect on the present.  We can learn valuable information from our past; then we must leave the past behind.  No one should carry all that excess baggage with them.  It just wears us down and causes more harm than good.  Live life in the here and now, while we continue to seek knowledge, insight and maturity with each new day.  Knowledge provides the power that energizes us to grow into our future.

People all over the world use the word “love” to describe feelings for a variety of persons, places, objects and things.  They express a love of food, animals, cars, flowers, music, etc.  You name it and I’m sure someone somewhere says, “I love it.”  I have no doubt for some, they may actually “like” an object or thing more than love it.  We do tend to over use this tender and caring word; often taking it to excessive extremes.  The word love and emotion it represents, for me, is the love we have and share with other humans.  I’m sure we all share a love of our family and friends.  This feeling is typically developed from an early age.  As we grow and mature, our emotions, attachments and connections develop and blossom.  We learn the importance of these relationships and the love of others and ourselves.

I sometimes fear the true meaning of love has been lost or pushed aside.  When you express your love for another human, it shouldn’t be based on a physical looks or sexual attraction.  Let’s face it, there are people in our world who are less scrupulous, egotistical and self-absorbed attitudes that only see things that benefit themselves.  They tend to live life, sucking the energy and good out of everything around them.  I doubt these individuals love themselves, yet only anyone else.  These people use “love” as a catch phrase, rather than a feeling or emotion.  Love is so much more than a word to be used for objects, things or self-centered behavior.  For all the romantics and amazing people out there; healthy, honest and trusting relationships develop over time. These wonderful connections blossom into friendships, close knit bonds and love.    

When two people meet, to create a relationship, they may experience an instant connection, or it may take time to develop.  They spend time together to establish and build a friendship, that might stay in that form or develop into more.  Individuals connect physically, mentally and spiritually, to form a bond that joins them together as one.  Love can be developed slow or fast, while the union of two individuals can remain both complex or simple.  If you’ve experienced an amazing love, you know it’s an extraordinary and intricate connection of two humans.  Saying those three incredible words, “I love you,” have the ability to spark many emotions.  When you speak this to another person, be sure you feel it and convey your emotions.  Telling someone you love them over and over is nice, but showing them your true feelings is even better.  Show them with displays of kindness, good actions and deeds.  Reflect your love in everything you do daily, using passion, gratitude, integrity and empathy to show your love.  All relationships require effort by both parties to ensure they last and grow.  Love, like beautiful flowers, only grow and develop when nurtured with care.  “Water” your love daily.   

When I sat in silent meditation, thinking about love, this verse came me.  My thoughts and experience with love, invigorates my soul, brightens my heart and energizes my spirit.  Don’t fear love.  Open yourself to the emotions and passion.  I hope you relate to some of my words.  You may experience a sense of how love invades my mind and body, and fills my soul with joy. 

Loves Emotion

“Maybe you never met that person that makes your blood boil, like you do to me.

Whenever I’m with you, my body shivers with chills that make me feel free.

My mind is consumed with sensations of fear and joy.

You make my temperature rise and my heart pound in deep in my chest with joy.

Every time you’re close, I want to hold you forever and never you let go.

When I hear your voice, my heart skips a beat.

I enjoy every word you say, whether it’s cold or with heat.

You enlighten my soul and fill my spirit with hope.

Each time our eyes connect, and you smile the way you do,

I melt a little more and feel your love too.

I can tell by the way you touch me, hug me and kiss me too,

Love surrounds us, just me and you.

Love isn’t always easy and it hurts at times,

because we’re both stubborn and foolish,

as we let our past and fears cloud our present as it entwines.

It doesn’t help us in our pursuit of happiness and the divine.

For now, I’m content to be your friend and enjoy your grace with time.

I want you to be the happiest you’ve ever been, with or without me in your place again.

I hope you feel what I feel when I see you too.

It’s crazy, amazing and a bit scary, but it’s our puzzle to do.

It’s loves great emotion and part of the universe’s master plan,

 to join two people together, uniting them as one.

Love is an incredible and consuming feeling of bliss.

It can drive you crazy, but always makes you want to hug and kiss.

You don’t need to say, “I love you” but I love it when you do.

We will forever be joined and bonded, whatever we do.”

We are living in days filled with division, anxiety and fear.  Populations and governments around the world are at odds.  These are difficult days, and it’s not easy to get people to agree.  It becomes increasingly difficult to place your trust in the “so called experts” when they aren’t even sure of the correct answer.  The one heart felt emotion we should all agree on, is that love is an amazing, eternal and encompassing energy.  We need to share and believe in its power! 

Love means opening your heart and soul to the possibilities of life.  We often hesitate when presented with opportunities, for fear of failure or hurt.  Failure is a misconception and the hurt we feel is because of how we process life events.  The real loss is never taking a chance to pursue happiness or love.  I admit, it’s difficult to place my heart in the hands of another.  When I allow myself to fully open my soul, this is when I reap the rewards of love.  I strive to be the best possible me, with gratitude and kindness.  Love is worth it, every time and in every place.  Don’t be scared, you may just win and be the happiest you’ve been.  Always hold these feeling close in your heart.  Take them with you wherever you go and never be fearful to let them show.  Love is worth the effort, because there’s nothing more amazing on this earth.  You deserve every wonderful moment the universe has to offer.  Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams, they know the way.  Let the universe guide you to happiness.  It’s the best way to live.  Stay healthy, happy and positive my friends, allow love to find you. 

Please tune in and join me again next Sunday for more!  The healthy life puzzle is always in rotation.  Let’s be healthy and strong mentally, physically and spiritually!

Thanks for your love and support!  Embrace Life!  Be sure to get outside and enjoy nature!