Cheesy, gushy, feel-good LOVE. It's what makes the world go 'round. It's what all the singers write about. It's what we instinctively crave.
I've learned that lesson (again) over the past week or so and specifically how important relationships are in this life. Relationships are the greatest ways to cultivate and feel love.
My buddy Morrie said it best (from Tuesdays with Morrie):
"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love and to let it come in."
His voice dropped to a whisper. "Let it come in. We think we don't deserve love, we think if we let it in, we'll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine said it right. He said 'Love is the only rational act.'"
Jon (one of my best buds from college) called me when I was having a bad day last week. For a long while, I cried and he talked. I didn't want to talk. I could tell he was trying so hard to say something that would make me feel better and help me stop crying. He told me he would stay on the phone with me as long as I needed. He even cried with me (I copped you out! But don't worry; I don't get thousands of views) as he shared stories and counsel that had helped him. This is my first example of how I felt loved recently.
Then after driving to Timbuktu to drop off a wireless router at our old internet provider on Friday, I found myself on a road that I could take to visit my good friend Monica.
Monica... where do I even begin. She is my guardian angel (really), great story teller, and the one that can give me a good laugh when I need it (she could repeat the story about how we scared the crap out of ourselves by simply running into each other around a corner, and I still laugh every time). We consider ourselves sisters because we KNOW there had to be some kind of spiritual relationship we developed before coming to Earth. The way we ended up in each others' lives over four years ago was no doubt divinely led, and we've always had a bond that felt natural. She and I seem to always be there for the other at the right time without knowing it and often have the right words to create an "a-ha" moment.
We met over dinner this weekend on a whim, and we talked for a long time about what was going on in our own situations. Even though I wouldn't say we solved the world's problems, I left that night feeling so refreshed, full of love. It's amazing what spending time with people you love can do to you. Coming into that conversation, I was bitter and irritable. Leaving her house (with a bag full of goodies, you little turd) I was recharged and felt physically and emotionally lighter.
The next day, I spent a good part of the afternoon and evening with who I have decided to dub my "Orlando parents." I've known the Mills' for about five years now, and even though Bishop Mills' is no longer my bishop at church, I still call him that and will always look at him and his wife as a valuable source of counsel. We watched the afternoon session of General Conference and later ate hot wings while watching the Gators get their butts handed to them in basketball (so embarrassing to watch). They feel like family to me. I loved hollering at the TV with them as if we could totally do a better job than the guys on the court (he was WIDE open! I can't believe he missed that shot!). I loved that Sis. Mills and I talked for hours after the game.
The cherry on top was General Conference. If you're thinking "what the heck is that?!" well, my friend, message me and I'll take you to church. General Conference is a biannual, two-day event where the leaders of our church address all 15,000,000 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on spiritual topics such as eternal families, how we can become better disciples of Christ, etc. I look forward to it every April and October.
One of the talks that hit me the most was from our prophet, Thomas S. Monson. He talked about treating everyone with love, and he said that "love is the essence of the gospel." Love is the bottom line. The main force behind EVERYTHING. It's God's love that sent His Son here to give us all a chance to live with Him forever.
And so I leave you with my four examples of love. Go make an example for someone else today. It'll change more than just the person you love. It'll change you.
