A New Love
If I could name “the thing” that drives my daughter most crazy it would definitely be my car singing… or… just my singing in general. It embarrasses her to no end. It’s as if the entire world is shoved in the back of the car and can hear the words reverberating from my lips. I swear, I’m not that bad… but maybe, I’m not that good either. Whatever the case, I do love to sing.
While driving to school on one particular morning, I busted out “I honestly Love You” by Olivia Newton-John. This song was a 1974 ballad that became an international HIT. It also serenaded many newly wed couples as they glided across the hardwood floor at their wedding. (cue scene from Wedding Singer).
As I attempted to sound JUST LIKE Olivia Newton- John, Harley yelled “Mom! stop! Don’t!” Followed by a long, exaggerated “Ugggggh…” I definitely took this one too far. But I tried.
After dropping her at school, I noticed I was still humming the same lyrics and, as I often do, I started to think. I started to think about the L word.
I recently listened to a podcast with Brene Brown and Bishop Michael Curry (head of the Episcopal Church). The title was “Love and Hope in Troubling Times.” Within the conversation (and on two separate occasions) Brene comments “Love is not easy. It’s not rainbow and ponies. The love we’re talking about is the scrappy, gritty, fighting love.”
As the podcast continues, Brene also takes time to read from Bishop Curry’s latest book titled “The Power of Love.” In it he writes, “The way of love will show us the right thing to do every single time. It is moral and spiritual grounding. It’s how we stay decent, in indecent times. Love is not always easy, but like with muscles, we get stronger with repetition AND as the burden gets heavier.”
So reader, are we in the middle of growing and raising a new kind of love? Within the heavy burden of our time, are we nurturing and tending to a more beautiful, powerful, truthful kind of love? Is our ability to love getting stronger and more vast? Is the act of love shape-shifting? Is love transforming from a small, tender, romanticized entity to something MUCH BIGGER and MORE BEAUTIFUL?
My apologies for the ramble of big picture questions…. but as you know, this topic rings my bell. And here is what I believe…. I believe something is rumbling in the earth… I feel it deep within. Can we choose to nurture this new seed? Can we choose to pivot towards LOVE?
