Love Is A Choice!

Today, let us talk about love, or not to love.  A friend of mine was telling me a story about her issue with her boyfriend – she loves him, and loves him very much.  She would love the love to be unconditional.  However, he does things or has habits that are very contradictory to her belief and values system.  The hardest thing, for her, is that when she says that an action that he does is not agreeable to her, he immediately tells her why she is wrong and how right his action is – in other words, she must totally allow him to do what is right for him, and she has no rights.  This, I tell her, is imbalance.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and, the balance of how to integrate both person’s needs is the beauty and challenge of relationships.  If one person is not allowed to have rights, then it is time to move on – in political terms, there is a dictatorship.  

Then, one of my friends sent me this story.  I thought that I would share it with you.  

Love and blessings,

Judy

Don't Hope... Choose!

While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about -the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me. Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. 

He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other's face, I heard the father say, "It's so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!" His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, "Me, too, Dad!" 

Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son's face in his hands said, "You're already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!" They too hugged a most loving, tender hug. 

While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her mother's arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. 

The man said, "Hi, baby girl!" as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment. 

After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last!" and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. 

He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. "I love you so much!" They stared at each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be. 

I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. 

I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those." he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well then, how long have you been away?" I asked the man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile."Two whole days!" 

Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks - if not months. I know my expression betrayed me, I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!" 

The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope, friend... decide!" Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!" With that, he and his family turned and strode away together. 

I was still watching that exceptional man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, "What'cha looking at?" Without hesitating, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, "My future!" 

- Author Unknown

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Walk With Me

This post is from my journal from about ten or so years ago.  I was reflecting on the death of a good friend.  I was remembering how he loved life and how he involved my husband and I in his life.  So, this blog is for him.

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Years ago, I saw the great movie, “Being There” with Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine.  The last scene shows Peter Sellers walking away from Earth.  The movie so wonderfully creates the idea of innocence and how we can be true to our selves.  

This movie comes up for me because today we said good-bye to a friend.  His celebration of life was beside a fast moving river.  There was a huge circle of love, formed by all the people that came to honour him, and share their stories of adventures with him.  When the last of his ashes was scattered, I saw the image of him walking away, over the water.

For me, death of the physical is simply our spirits agreeing to accept the invitation to “walk with me” that Creator, or Great Spirit, or God, issues.  There is a point, I think, when we no longer need to be on Earth.  We have finished what we started.  And, as we are all energy, energy returns to like.

I think that celebrating life, as we did today, is a wonderful way to bring peace to the family and to each of us.  We are all created with a sense of Oneness that we seem to forget upon arriving on earth.  Maybe it is time for us to actively look for the Oneness in ourselves and how it connects to others.  This practice will help us understand how love wraps around us, and how, when each of us leaves the world a better place, all of us are lifted.

Blessings,

Judy

Tiger Explains How To Blend

 

                                               picture of Siberian Tiger from PBS.org

I have this vivid memory of sitting with a Tiger, on some rocks, overlooking a small lake.  I am sure that I was in dream time, sometime in the last several nights.  I know that I was not frightened, and the feeling was like I was with an old friend.  We sat and talked.

Tiger was explaining to me that I needed to go out more and practice blending in to the rest of the people or into the environment around me.  He said that I should look less happy, and more sad.  He suggested that I walk with my head down, and that I not meet people’s eyes.  He said that I should slouch along, and not walk upright.

Tiger says that the best way to camouflage is to imitate what is around you.  And, even if you are strong and fearless, drawing attention to yourself is often fool hardy.  Tiger’s advice, “always keep something in reserve”.

I am not sure why this advice was important for me to have.  It does, however, seem glued to the front of my mind.  I think that over the next several days, the reason for this teaching will be explained.  At least Tiger made the information stick in my mind.

Many blessings,

Judy