Exhaling

Comment by C.O.

January 17, 2008 @ 4:56 pm

Blue here, too. Our purpose is indeed to love.

Comment by kathryntherese

January 17, 2008 @ 11:40 pm

Yes, to love others.
It’s the HOW that is often difficult. We want to love one another, but it is often difficult to allow ourselves to be loved…

Comment by JustMe

January 18, 2008 @ 7:34 pm

Indeed, that is how we love another best.

Back while still dating, husband-to-be called to say hi, and it came out that he’d left his stupid lunch at home. I offered to go to his place to get it and bring it to him, but he said no; he was apparently too stupid to deserve to eat. However, he worked too hard to go without food, and I knew darned well he would not ask his co-worker for half of his anything at all. I really wouldn’t have had time to go to his place first, then drive to another state where he was working to deliver, then drive back all on my own lunch hour, but I did the next best thing — ordered and picked up an Italian sandwich from a sub shop that was right on the way, and this way we’d get to see one another as well as my knowing that he wouldn’t have to suffer hunger all the way ’til 6.

When I got there, he wouldn’t accept it. He was ticked off at himself for being so stupid; this way — if he suffered hunger — he’d never again forget his lunch. I asked him to accept it for my sake.. Nope. End of subject. I finally insisted the sandwich was going to go into a ravine if he didn’t take it.

The ravine ate well; the rest of us went hungry.

When he wouldn’t accept the gift of my loving him more than he loved himself, he denied me a gift.

Comment by kathryntherese

January 18, 2008 @ 8:36 pm

Can I share this story?
I will be speaking to a group of young people (ok, anyone under 39 seems like “young person” to me now; what the heck?) and this is such a clear illustration of how confused we can be.

Your husband certainly didn’t mean to offend you or waste a fine Italian sub (was there pastrami on that? provolone?), nor could he realize at the moment that he was denying you anything. He couldn’t have wanted that. But we find it so difficult to be open.

Hopefully, we grow into that ability. But all too often, our growth is in the opposite direction; all too often, we close in on ourselves and become LESS able to accept what others try to give.

If love makes the world go round, it’s utterly amazing to me that we haven’t stopped on our axis and gone flying off the planet…

Comment by Carol

January 18, 2008 @ 10:53 pm

Yes, surely you can share it.

Yes, we become less able to accept what others try to give, which all of a sudden brings to mind all sorts of Scripture about love.

Well, it seems to me that as long as there is a tiny baby opening his or her new eyes on the earth somewhere, there will be enough love to keep the world turnin’.