I've spent the last two years writing about happiness. Towards the end of the second year I discovered what I was really writing about was love.
My daughter's friend Stephanie (above) gave birth to her first child, a perfectly pure baby girl named Madilyn, earlier this week. Kelsie and Stephanie met when they were students in L.A. They were immediate friends. I still recall Kelsie phoning to tell me about this delightful new friend who came in answer to prayer. Kelsie said Stephanie was so good, so kind, and so lovely that she felt hope just being around her. A beautiful mirror of my daughter...
Stephanie was single at the time and feeling troubled and confused about how her life should move forward. But those distressing times are long behind her. Today she is happily married to a wonderful young man and they have blessed the world with a precious gift of love.
I wanted to share their friendship with you because in so many ways their history captures the essence of every human heart. That, and not much says love like a new baby. :-)
We feel alone, we struggle with our experiences, then by the grace of God we come together with someone and we feel love. We have happy times, we make choices--some good, some not so good, we celebrate our joys, suffer our sorrows, and feel alone again. Then somehow another miracle happens and love finds us in some small and unexpected way.
And on we go, moving forward in life and in love.
My friend Mark and I looked at a house today that belonged to a woman about to lose her home. On the wall in her living room was was a sign that read, "Faith, Hope, and Love. But the greatest of these is Love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)
I wanted to leave her a note. I wanted to remind her of the picture hanging on her wall and tell her that no matter what happens, if she could feel the love in her own heart, she could find hope. And then faith. Regardless of and no matter what she was going through. Because faith grows from hope. And hope comes from love. But maybe she knows this.
We came from God. And God is love. His love is the core of who we are--if we could just tune in to ourselves with enough quiet to recognize and feel it...
When I realized (while writing about happiness) I was writing about love, I decided it was time for a new blog.
Maybe, just maybe, if I write well enough about the love I see and feel, you will feel it too. Or maybe you will just see life a little differently, and possibly in a way that will help you feel the love in your life.
Love is all around. Every minute of every day. Regardless. ;-)
I want to feel it. Who's with me?
With all my love to you,
Kathleen
