The Summer Gifts
The summer is coming to an end soon in just a few more weeks. It is a rainy/stormy Sunday morning on my side of the world. Sitting on my back porch listening to soft jazz music, the raindrops, the birds singing, feeling the light breeze in my skin, and enjoying the sweet smell of the rain…this moment is indeed a gift!
As I reflect on this summer, I feel that life has given me lots of gifts in just a few short summer weeks. I hope that you feel the same. If not, just sit in silence for a moment and go back with a different perspective.
I call that perspective the “gift lens.” The sarcastic in you may say, “Please! Are you kidding me? I AM in misery! Life is hard lady!” Of course it is my friend…and it is also what YOU make of each moment and experience!
The first gift: The ability to give LOVE to others when they are going through their worst times.
Often this means sitting in silence and giving them space to BE while holding them emotionally. Ok, I admit it, HUGS are involved quite often and I like hugs!!! It is a fair exchange.
The second gift: To recognize what Love is and what it is not.
I will always LOVE others even when others are not ready to love me back the way I wish to be loved. The thing is that I am too full of Love to be loved halfway. I do not welcome close relationships in which you “love to hate me” or “my ways trigger your insecurities/bad mood.” I learned that lesson already…been there done that! So, if I feel that I frustrate you or trigger you even though I love you and I care for you deeply, I will distance myself because again, I am too full of Love to be loved half way. I made peace with it. No blame, no shame, no guilt…still loving you. I will not force it. I love how I love all or nothing kind of love.
The third gift: Seeing faith in action.
The BEST gift this summer was to see a loved one get physically healed. The best gift given to my loved one and for me to witness faith in action!
The fourth gift: Gaining the courage to speak UP
I have the courage to speak UP on all my affairs, even when that changes things or makes my circle of loved ones, friends or acquaintances a bit smaller. Quality over quantity is my motto…always!
The fifth gift: Allowing yourself loved and appreciated as you are.
The fourth gift is tied to this one. It was a challenge on all fronts but what I truly gained from it was to see WHO the true and authentic people are in my life, and HOW their loving energy for ME fed my soul, my body and my mind. Oh, and they did this to the WORST version of ME…the raw, unfiltered, often savage, vulnerable, depleted ME. Thank you!!! I think my fall personality will be more calm and sweet…LOL!!!
The sixth gift: The blessing to relieve a memory of ROMANTIC Love in action.
This last one hit me by surprise, as I never thought I would see this young soul leave us so soon. But, his gift to me was the blessing to capture one of his most loving life moments. At the time, I did not know what he had given me. Now that he is gone, I do realize that a young beautiful soul gave me a piece of him forever. I remember his “drunken love eyes” asking me to capture his love for his lady in a picture back in December 2011…full of soul! The best kind of memory, but let’s be honest here…for the most beautiful moments in life give you JOY but when that is taken away suddenly it becomes the MOST painful one too. I feel deeply for the loved ones that he left behind…his lovely lady and his children. May the Lord watch over them and bless them all the days of their lives. One thing I will always remember about him…HE was too full of life and JOY to live half way. I fully understand beautiful soul. May your Joyful soul rest in peace.
What a summer so far… this lady is ready for the fall season!
