I woke up feeling reflective and distracted this morning, so I took a ride over to my favorite spot down by the lake. I used to go down there when I was a kid. From the minute I got my driver’s license, I would hop in my car and head straight to my spot. I used to bring my lunch down there during high school. So for 24 years, this spot has been my quick escape right in my own “backyard”. I have many treasured memories sitting with close friends at this spot catching up, reflecting, or just sitting and enjoying the view.
So what was on my mind this morning? Why was I so distracted? Love.
Over the 24 years I’ve been going to that spot by the lake, love has meant different things to me. I’ve gone down there to think about friends, boyfriends, and even family but now I just went down there to think about love. Just love in general. I thought about the many kinds of love I have experienced since I started visiting the beach. At first, there was my first love… mmmmm …. and the love of friends getting to know what life is all about. Later, I learned about the love between a mother and child from both sides, the love of a husband and wife, the love between two girl friends as a kid and as an adult, and the love between myself and other moms as we enjoy this wild ride together just to name a few. And, over the last few years, I’ve gotten far more familiar with my own love for myself. And now, I realize that my sensitivity to my own ideas about love is really the only kind of love that actually exists. As Byron Katie tells us, the important thing is “loving what is”. The rest is what we believe is conjured up by others and sent our way. We interpret that “love” and create a story around it.
The only thing with more optimistic power than love is the idea of “tomorrow”, the idea of what is to come. To feel genuine love for another and feel the promise of that love being there tomorrow is no less than magnificent. What I understand now is that my love for myself will be there tomorrow, and always. It is a striking reason to continue this journey of finding more ways to fall deeper in love with myself. It also inspires me to find ways to feel confident in my love of my friends and loved ones and their love for me. “Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror.” -Byron Katie
My heartfelt wish for myself and for everyone is to feel and experience non-judgmental, unconditional, mind blowing love in every way possible in your life. Whether it be from your dog, your lover or your mother, breathe in all the love in your life and breathe out delight. Just be sure you continue to inquire within for the love of yourself. Every bit of love that you experience is the result of how you perceive love, no one can give you love, you simply feel what is in your own heart. “Peace doesn’t require two people; it requires only one. It has to be you. The problem begins and ends there.” -Byron Katie
“Love” is one of my favorite songs by John Lennon, but the only line in the song that really needs to be sung is the last one.
“Love”
Love is real, real is love
Love is feeling, feeling love
Love is wanting to be loved
Love is touch, touch is love
Love is reaching, reaching love
Love is asking to be loved
Love is you
You and me
Love is knowing
we can be
Love is free, free is love
Love is living, living love
Love is needed to be loved
-John Lennon
photo above was taken at Park Ave Beach
myhappypromise 