In love with LIFE!

I stumbled across this image tonight. I posted it to Facebook a year ago. What a great nugget of goodness. I'm grateful for re-discovering it. It really sums up my life right now, this dream I feel like I've been in for about the past 5 months. It deserves its own blog, the reason for my elation and feeling of overwhelming love. This person, our relationship, has so filled me up that I'm just spilling over with gratitude. I've wanted to blog about it for sometime now but want to be sure my words perfectly sum up what I'm feeling. I fear words can't possibly describe it. In the meantime, I'll share another reason I love life and love LOVE itself. If you're in need of a reason to love life, maybe this will help!

Check out or check back in with music. It's my go-to cure-all, my religion you could say. It's where I find all of the answers or find the ability to discover them within myself. Find something that sends shivers up your spine, makes you jump and dance, makes you cry or propels you to call an old friend and tell them how much you miss them. Can't think of anything? Take a listen to the song below. AMAZING! Just makes you want to stand up and say HALLELUJAH, thank you, I love you, I am grateful! The lyrics are filled with such pain, struggle and desperation, and the music just rips you open, tears open your heart. I can never get over the fact that music can have this effect: exposing such raw emotion yet be so uplifting in the same verse - such a paradox. I heard this song tonight, performed by another great singer on Glee and was in tears about 30 seconds into it. I don't know why I was crying. I think I was initially crying because you just can't escape the sorrow the singer is portraying. It draws you in. But then as the song progressed, I was also crying because I was so happy to be connecting with a song so deeply, so immediately. I'm so grateful that my mind and my heart are always open to this and that I'm able to feel so strongly and connect instantly with music and performers. I love the unexpectedness of artistic impression. You never know when something will strike you - wake you up from your monotonous daily grind, rattle your emotions to the surface and force you to get real with yourself. As the song builds, the choir enters, a symbol of rejoicing and a pillar of spiritual strength. Gospel choirs always evoke a sense of comfort and triumph, like everything is going to be ok when I hear them. Triumph for the singer and for the listener. The singer and the choir in this song are like love - the juxtaposition of opposing emotions. Love can make you sad, afraid, and confused yet it has the ability to bring you more joy, light, and comfort than anything in the world. And what would life be without love, even with the fear of losing it? This is something I've been deeply struggling with recently. I think I've been subconsciously trying to understand it for years but recent events have really brought it to the surface. And, I'm grateful for the ability to work through it and learn to accept the paradox. And, I'm grateful to have this outlet to admit it! And with that, experiencing this song tonight reminded me how music can so beautifully mirror life and love. And how powerful love can be. Chilling. Scary. Painful. But what's better than love? As I said, I often find the answers in music and maybe now I'm one step closer to working through and accepting the ying and yang of love.

I couldn't decide on which version of this song to share as they're both breathtaking. You decide!

Aretha's version (the original):



Patti's version:



After listening to the pain of these lyrics, I'm so grateful I have someone who lets me love them!

Faithful Atheist

You may wonder, why would an atheist post a quote referencing the Creator, a.k.a "God." I read this quote this morning on Mastin Kipp's insightful and inspiring blog, The Daily Love. Although a bad habit to reach for my Blackberry as soon as I awake and focus my eyes, I look forward to scanning through the junk emails, searching for Mastin's cheery daily dose of lovely affirmations, words of wisdom, tools for self-improvement and general feel-good, positive energy. It's a fabulous way to start your day. I highly recommend you check it out! When I read this quote, I was struck by it. A fan of Emerson since I read Thoreau's Walden Pond in grammar school and subsequently became intrigued with transcendentalism, the quote made me pause. To be honest, when I see God referenced, I usually scan the text, dismissing it. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that and look forward to reversing that reaction in the future. As I stared at that intimidating word CREATOR, I began to see it differently, accepting it, in a way. I also thought, Emerson could have said GOD and didn't. Why? Could he have meant Creator in a different way? Could I see it differently and interpret this quote differently? Could I enjoy it, learn from it and be inspired by it without attaching a religious meaning to it and "Creator"? Of course I can! What a silly, unnecessary question. And what a relief. Thank God.

Lately I've really been struggling with the idea of Faith. It's not something that comes naturally for a myriad of reasons, the most obvious I attribute to being raised without religion. I'm thoroughly content with my lack of religious upbringing (which does NOT mean lack of religious education) but realize that I'm a bit more challenged now to understand, accept and practice having Faith. Without it, I think we would all go mad so I'll continue trying to wrap my head around it. In addition to reminding me about the importance of Faith, Emerson reminded me today that because of all the beauty I have seen, that there is so much more to see. That was so inspiring! I admittedly get down once in awhile, often feeling like I'm stuck and with all of the negativity and ugliness in the world, the beautiful moments that so lifted me in the past, are dwindling. It upsets me more that these negative thoughts creep in more often than I'd like. It's not just about telling yourself to be positive, brushing yourself off, or looking at the other side of the coin - it's about having Faith in the past, present and future. If things were beautiful and awe-inspiring in the past, you will absolutely experience that again. Having Faith in the present you, the present moment ensures that. And how exciting that there is so much more than we can imagine out there to see and experience? Even as I re-read this post for errors and additions, I realize that this quote has more meaning than what initially thought and have tried to describe. I'm happy that I stumbled across it and will continue finding meaning within it.

I am in gratitude today to Emerson and Mastin. I appreciate this friendly and uplifting reminder to have Faith, continue seeking that next inspiring moment and be open to those unsuspected moments of wisdom. They may come in a different package than what you're usually expecting. It may look and feel unfamiliar or even make you fearful. Push into that discomfort. That's where you're really discover the magic.

I chose the image above as it reflects the first thing I thought of when I read it. You may recognize the wondrous beauty of Yellowstone National Park. My family has two photos of us standing practically in this same spot with that amazingly unforgettable view behind us; one snapped in 1990 and the other around 1995. I will cherish those tattered photos forever but the memories are burned into my memory. And I look forward to more adventures in that most precious national treasure.

And, as George Michael preaches, "You gotta have Faith!"



I hope this blog post, Emerson's quote, Mastin's blog, or even George Michael's gyrations inspires you today!