Where Is the Love

We are in the middle of a season of love. One of peace and charity, well-wishing and goodwill toward men. I have always reveled in this time of year...it brings me joy. It gives me hope. It makes me happy and restores my belief in goodness. This time of year makes me believe in love-as if I didn't already...but also that everyone is capable of giving it and receiving it. You can love-whether you've lost, been hurt, been unappreciated, been afraid-even if you're broken. You can be loved, even if you don't feel worthy, even if you're alone, even if you have lost, even when life is hard. And you're darn tootin you can love at Christmas. That's what it's all about. That's why some of us love to carry Christmas in our hearts every single day. Every season.

I remember the lonely and alone right now. I actually remember them all the time. Not just at Christmas. There's a lot of hard stuff in this world. For everyone. Love cures a lot of those hard things. I'm grateful for the reminders to be sensitive. But there are sensitive situations our whole entire lives, every single day. How amazing that we can think of others and be kind all the time, not just right now!

I know life hurts. People come and people go. Bad things happen. Hearts get broken. People are lonely. Trials come upon us. Loved ones die. People make decisions that aren't the ones we expect. Everyone has something they are dealing with. I get it. This time of year that is all about love and joy and togetherness can be a little lacking for someone who is dealing with matters of the heart. But EVERYONE deals with matters of the heart. Watching Guardians of the Galaxy put it in perspective  for me when Rocket says, "Everybody's got dead people." At first I thought it was so harsh, but it's true. I think if we all remembered that EVERYONE has dead people (or trials or loss or loneliness etc.) that maybe we'd be a little bit kinder-and love a little bit better.

It's okay to be joyful ANY time of year. It's okay to give love and hope to others. ALWAYS. Even to people who are sad or lonely or not enjoying this time of year. There's a good chance that showing a little kindness and Christmas spirit might be the very thing that helps someone through. The little teeny acts of good will go a lot further than the moment. SO love. It is always okay to love. It's what we're here to learn. It's what we're here to do.  I'm almost embarrassed how easily I love. It pours out of me-literally (I cry a lot) and figuratively. Oh, I get hurt too. I get grumpy at selfishness. I get stung at misunderstanding. I get tired of feeling used. I get frustrated when I feel my love isn't being returned. But at the end of it all I find myself loving anyway. I can close my heart right up and wrap duct tape around it, but somehow the love finds any unblocked crack and oozes out regardless. It finds a way over the wall. It seeps under the foundation and out where it is supposed to be-with all the imperfect people and all the unfair situations. So I love you da*mit! Receive my love because it's comin' at you anyway! That's just how it's going to be. Right now at Christmas, and all the year through.