Maybe Love Really is all That You Need.

I've started, stopped, edited and restarted this post several times in the past SEVERAL weeks. Lets see if I can get all the way through it this time:

As I get older, wait, lets say more experienced, yes, I like that better. I've found that its very true that Love comes in many forms and is found in many places. The last several weeks have been a testament to that...

Haime and I celebrated another year of being a family unit, marriage, and a co-support system  (Yes, I know, how sappy can you be to be married on Valentine's Day?), (Jeff, we really were married by a Balinese cleric...in Vegas, no less)! Our love is strong. We've weathered serious medical conditions, deaths of family members and dear friends, marriages of our children, births of grandchildren, geographic relocations, job changes and the "everydayness" of life and have continued to be each other's love and support.

 We love the times we spend with our children and grandchildren, friends and family. (We also enjoy a nice adult beverage from time to time...just keeping it real). We love our faith and our church. In other words, life is really a precious gift for us. One that we hold dear.

I am troubled, however by so many of the things, outside our insular unit, that are seemingly beyond my control. Am I being hypersensitive about the apparent turn from the basic guidelines of "Do unto others," and "Love thy Neighbor," and "Feed the Hungry," etc? I have become so disheartened that I find myself building barriers to keep from having to endure conversations, sensationalisms, and some target speech. I find that I am limiting my social activities and personal interactions because some have begun to cause me heart-felt, physical and emotional distress.

I am troubled by the "us vs them" syndrome that I see taking place. Why does it seem that it takes a horrible tragedy to bring together, people of differing points of view? Why does it seem that we are only likely to help others who fall victim to some catastrophe, if we know them or they come from our community or they look like us or they worship as we do ourselves?  Why are we bothered by whom others love?

Yes, I know, I sound like Poly-Anna again or some "crazy liberal" or that I'm pointing fingers...I'm honestly not doing any of those things...(well, OK, I probably am more left of center than some others). I know that in building my personal boundary's, I am not doing anything to mend the bigger picture. I am unwilling to deal with the bigger issues and that makes me part of the problem. Although I believe that those of us with "more" should care for those with "less;" I don't really do anything to make a difference. Of course, I donate to various charities and I recycle more than I "trash," I check in on friends and family who might need help with something or other, but I don't do anything that is out of my comfort zone.

How do we get back to building bridges with one another? YES, there are some scary-as-hell things going on in the world and its frightening-as-hell to read the news or listen to the dooms-day-sensationalists on the idiot box but how the hell do we go back to loving and caring and listening and supporting each other?

Is it through love? If so, how do we love? How do we stop the fear and loathing and begin to trust again? I honestly believe it begins with and through love...I just don't know how we are going to make it happen.

Thanks for reading my ramblings.

TTFN,

Love ya,

Lois