Gentleness and Love
When I was in grad school, a number of years ago, I kept wondering what the purpose of life was about...why are we here? What's the point? What's the goal?
And then one day, it dawned on me in a real lightbulb moment, that life is either choosing love or choosing fear. A simple truth. A basic rudder of existence. Life has an organic pulse-- either towards love or towards fear. We can walk in love. Or walk in fear. I couldn't believe it was so simple. But that was my answer! That was my truth.
So this is it: that to truly live in life, one must live in love--be loving, kind, gentle, compassionate, and do things with love. And when one notices a flicker of fear, to remind oneself that it is about love over fear...all fear is an absence of love.
I reflect on this now, as I type on my laptop, at 1:22 in the morning, here on a Monday night, a full week after the Paris attacks. I have been stunned by the terrorism, the acts of violence. My mother is French. I have cousins in Paris. And friends there too. I got in touch with them all, and found out everyone was okay. But it still does not comfort me to know that innocent people were killed doing things we all do--going to a cafe, a restaurant, a sporting event, a concert on a simple Friday night. It doesn't make sense to me.
I woke up the other morning feeling sad. What is this world coming to? I do not understand. Yet tonight, on the local news, there is a teacher helping students make a one mile green lei - a simple act of love - to bring to Paris next week to show their care and support.
Love transcends fear, for sure.
Today's recipe: cinnamon chia seed pudding...
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