The Notebook - The decision to Love

Love hides a multitude of sins ... yet we decide to love anyway , finding excuses to turn a blind eye to the flaws that stare us in the face.

Love is a decision  says a colleague,  but its funny how often we make that decision unconsciously; deciding to stick with a person or choice just because you are in love with him/her or it.

Love for me; is consciously deciding to throw caution to the wind; diving in head first not waiting to rationalize matters based on societal views standing by my choices no matter the cost.

Knowing that in the end I was brave enough to make that decision and strong enough to stand by it for better or worst, through sickness or health for richer or poorer and through life in this and the next.

Not concerned with the challenges as much as I am  with the lessons I will learn along the road that love has mapped out for me; being content with the journey as a whole.

Understanding that I never really loose love because true love can not be lost but rather appreciating the speed bumps that come along the way and the bus stops that allow for rest and  analysis.

Its good to cry when in love or when what I think is love is taken away because tears cleanses the soul and makes for clearer thinking.

Its good to open up to love and to love with every fiber of your being; because love is an awesomely wonderful thing not to be confused with infatuation .

Love is ...

To live like your last breath is being taken 

To accept the simplicity of life 

To accept that you, your partner or choices are not perfect

To give back at every opportunity 

To be okay with slowing to a stop 

To accept self

To know above all else you are loved by God first 

To be open to love . 

Have you?

.

It doesn't interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
 I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain

Excerpt of the Invitation by Oriah  Mountain Dreamer

 Today as I surfed one of the more popular social media sites I saw the picture above  posted by a dear friend  and it made me think, just how many stories this one picture could tell and how many different ways everyone would interpret the same picture.

 For me the picture spoke more to the pain behind the eyes; the contrasting light said I'm here but I'm hiding from the world too.   And then I remembered this poem a past love had sent me.
For weeks after the break up ( it was a horrid shocking affair) I read the same poem over and over and I asked myself the question... sometimes I still do...Have you touched the centre of your sorrow? can you live with this pain or someone else's?

Have you become shrivelled and crippled by life's most hurtful experiences?   I can see  the same picture as the cover photo for a best selling book that tells of passion and rage and love.

For me this picture is asking us to visit our darkest places deep within; those places we are afraid of facing or admitting exists; asking ourselves the question ... Am I ready to touch the centre of my sorrow or stay crippled.... afraid of the unknown?

So are you?   


To Rue, you are a special person.