Love Stories

​I woke up very early this morning lost in the throes of love. And no, I was not “lost” in a way that was confusing or disenchanting. I was spellbound in the peace, beauty, and healing power of all affections that embrace your heart and permeate to the tips of your fingers and toes.
 
It begins as an unblemished love of life. You just awaken with a lust for all things possible – for sunshine and rain, togetherness and solitude, and ignorance and bliss. It is the love for a parent, a sibling, a pet, a best friend, a soul mate, and even a solitary moment in time. It encompasses everything that we think, know, share, and experience.
 
As a kid, love meant life or death, didn’t it? Puppy love was either unabashedly spectacular or ruthlessly unfair. It either launched you to Venus or dropkicked you into purgatory. My first love dumped me on the day before Christmas vacation and thwarted all the sugarplum visions that danced fancifully in my heartbroken little head.
 
But as adults, we have learned (or should have learned) to luxuriate in unfettered affection of all things magical. The best part is that while it matters if it is shared, returned, or unrequited, it is still a solitary journey. The decision lies solely on choice – accept or reject. Oh, do not get me wrong – even as an adult, I have been crushed by rejection. Romantic regret can be painful, but it does shape how we love going forward. It was Alfred Lord Tennyson, in 1850, who wrote, “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
 
Even with my liberated viewpoints, I found myself curiously web surfing about animals who mate for life. Did you know there are more than 25 animal species that are symbols of love eternal and lifelong commitment? Among them are Swans, Barn Owls, Bald Eagles, Condors, Coyotes, Red-tailed Hawks, Penguins, Seahorses, Beavers, and even Pigeons. And similar to us, they are very possessive and jealous, often fighting off their competition.
 
Otters hold hands while sleeping so as not to drift apart while Seahorses swim with their tails wrapped around each other to stay together. The male Penguin searches for the perfect pebble to deliver to his favorite female as a proclamation of love. There is so much to be learned from our animal counterparts.
 
So, while I adore a good love story, today, my loving thoughts are about what the world has to offer. I may often lament, but I love life. I love my life. Those who cannot see the beauty in pursuing that which tugs at your emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and sometimes hyper-satirical heartstrings simply do not float in my layer of ozone – and that is okay.
 
My life is not a romance novel. It is a super-charged adventure that makes my heart sing. And that, my friends, is music to my ears. I wish everyone could revel in this level of peace, harmony, and joy. Ah, but that is fodder for yet another rant.
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