Love Away

‎"None of us has the power to make someone else love us. But we all have the power to give away love, to love other people. And if we do so, we change the kind of person we are, and we change the kind of world we live in." … Rabbi Harold Kus.

You hear people say that “it’s all about you” … most often, that is said in a negative way. And yet, as this quote so eloquently states, it is in fact all about you. You shape yourself and your world. There is no one else that can do it better.

Beyond the fact that Jesus commanded us to the task of giving away love, it is in our nature from the very beginning. As babies, we snuggle and cuddle … we hug and kiss … we laugh when someone makes a funny face … all expressions of love when we cannot speak. Most often, we take care of our bodies … we follow the law … we do the right things … we love ourselves. Those too are expressions of love.

But the greatest power is surely in giving love away. Much as Jesus did. Much as my Emmaus brothers do. Much as my family does, to each other. Much as we try to do with a smile, an opened door, a courteous wave in traffic. We give away love every day, in ways we never realize … it is just a gift we have, a gift that God granted us.

I think of all the ways I can express love to others … this blog is one, but almost every hour there are several that I can think of. Responding in kindness to an email counts. So do Facebook posts for birthdays and thank you cards and letters. So does taking the time to read and think. So does really listening to what others are saying. The act of giving love away is unending … do it more and we will change the world more than we can imagine.

Today’s post from Ralph Waldo Emerson fits in perfectly … “Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing. The force of character is cumulative.”

And the 30-day action prompt today does as well: It is more genuine to be present today than to recount yesterdays. How would you describe today in only one sentence?

Here is mine: Today is always the best day to give your love away, because it most becomes you to share that gift as often and deeply as you can ... what is yours?