Opportunities to Love

"Once you're a certain age, the idea of wasting any opportunity -- particularly the opportunity to love -- is seen as the blasphemy it is. You might as well just spit at God as turn away from the chance to really love."

-- Marianne Williamson

I think it all comes down to a few simple equations, if I can just figure them out:

God=Love
You=God
You=Love

And my junior high guidance counselor said I had no aptitude for math, ha!

Love, God, you -- a divine menage a trois that transcends math, transforms both the giver and receiver, and maximizes life.

It seems so obvious. We have hundreds of chances everyday to be either loving or aloof, loving or rejecting, loving or angry, loving or indifferent. The entire spiritual path is simply about choosing love. Again and again, over and over, in the face of intense opposition, in the chasm of despair, in mundane moments and in awe-full times, the choice of love is always available to us.

And yet, we fail to make that choice time and time again. And so that is when we must first love ourselves. We must love ourselves in spite of the fact that we do not live up to the high standards we set, we must love ourselves even when it seems no on else does, we must especially love ourselves, when we seem to deserve love the least. Because then, and only then, can we really love others.

No one deserves love by their actions. Love is not a prize you win for 50 years of service, or for perfect attendance, or for being the MVP of your office, church, family, or Lions Club.

Everyone deserves love by their Being. How do you know that you deserve love? You're here ain't you? Then you deserve it. As does every other being on the planet. Love does not discriminate. -- ever.

It's an immense task to love One and All. A task at which we will no doubt fail daily. And yet, what else is there worth doing? Love ourselves, love each day, love everyone we meet, hell, even love our inability to always love! It's one giant, friggin' love fest! Life at its best -- nothing but opportunities to love.