“The knowledge and understanding of love is one thing, allowing love to deepen our spirit is what makes us part of the divine.” – Anonymous

This evening I had the honor to spend a couple of hours in hospice room 221. As I entered the room a wife, brother, friend, and chaplain were standing around a bed as a man was comfortably asleep. We formed a circle and the chaplain read the 23rd Psalm. Friends, family, and loved ones continued to fill the room with joy, love, and memories of this amazing man. An impromptu singing of Amazing Grace filled my heart with the kind of Life that words would not do justice to.

One of the man’s daughters introduced herself to me and we had an unforgettable conversation. The height of the conversation was us discussing the beautiful Love that was being expressed when I exclaimed “The Beatles nailed it, ‘All You Need is Love.’” She quickly replied “Well Burt Bacharach was not too far off when he said ‘What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love.’” We looked at each other and it was as if we both had the same epiphany in that moment as she continued that the world is Love, we do not NEED anything, this life is Love and the rest is an illusion at best and probably closer to a delusion.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, with a touch of LOVE on top. Leaning against the door frame that separated the room from a small bathroom I got to observe true love. A man, over eighty years old, had people come tell him thank you, tell him I Love you, and express other ways he had impacted them and others in such a profoundly positive way. Everyone had a chance to tell hilarious stories about his life, his brother shared some of his professional accomplishments, and he even had an MP3 player going in his ear so he could enjoy some of his favorite tunes by Bach, Chopin, and The Turtles “Happy Together.”

Why are these beautiful moments not available more in my life? Can I sing more? Can I tell people thank you more? Can I share a funny and fun story about a friend more? Can I tell you I Love you more? Can I have conversations about Love and death with people I just met? Can I talk about my deepest and most profound beliefs with you? Can WE entertain these conversations more often?

Affirmation: This Life is beautiful and perfect in its entirety. Love is my guiding force on this journey. Now I am found.

Call to Action: Take one of the questions in the last paragraph, or add one in the comments section, and seek an answer that is true for you. Please share how this might have shifted your Friday with our community.

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