Lunar Eclipse

Once upon a time there lived a tree.  He was a tall tree, hovering over the entire forest, and quite leafy with lots of twisty branches.  All the creatures loved this tree, for he was a wise and gentle tree but also so much fun.  Every season the birds would come flocking, eager to find the best spot in the leafy branches to weave their nests.  The squirrels would climb up and down and over and under, searching for the perfect nook and cranny to hide their hard earned treasures. And the tiniest of critters, especially the most elegant and beautiful of them all-Little Ms. Lady Bug, would crawl here and there, and drink with joy from the pools of water collected by each leaf.  He was a generous tree and loved his friends just as much as they loved him.  One night, after all the creatures had fallen into a deep, restful sleep, the tree was still awake, humming to himself and feeling grateful for all that he was given.  He arched his busy eyebrows and tipped his head back to greet Mr. Moon.  

"Hello Mr. Moon. How do you do tonight?"

Yawning, Mr. Moon said, "Oh, I'm ok. I guess I'm just bored. Every night I do the same thing and I don't get to have fun like all your friends in the forest. I have to be responsible and light up the sky."

"Oh Mr. Moon, don't you know how beautiful your light is? It shines so silvery and bright, even the stars twinkle with joy to be in your presence!"

"But I want to have fun! I guess I just get lonely up here all by myself."

"Oh, well why don't you come down here for a bit? Everyone is asleep and no one will notice that you left the sky for a few minutes! Come on down and swing on my branches!"

"Oh, really? Do you think I could really do that?  It would be so much fun and make me so happy!"

"Of course!"

"Ok! Well here I come!"

And so Mr. Moon left the sky and swung in the twisty branches, bouncing his light from leaf to leaf, laughing in delight.  When it was time to return to the sky, Mr. Moon felt so refreshed and even brighter than he did before. 

Ever since that evening, from time to time, every once in a while, Mr. Moon still decides to leave the sky for a few minutes and have a little fun with his friend Tree. He heard from his friend in the sky, Ms. Cloud, that the humans have started calling these instances something strange..."lunar eclipse".  Humans are such a funny creature...maybe they too should just have a little fun, take a break, and swing in the branches:).

Irreplaceable

January 17, 2015 An Offering: I was running late for work this morning, my mind rushing through the work ahead. And then something extraordinary happened. A gorgeously colored red leaf stopped me in my path. It must have gently floated there from its former home in a tree. Thinking about the life of this leaf, I suddenly felt so small and insignificant. It was once bright green and full of life, thriving in a family of tree leaves. And now there it lay so quiet and unassuming. I was struck by its vibrant beauty, even after it breathed its final breath. With nothing left to take from Mother Earth, a final offering was made for anyone that might cross its path. I gingerly bent down to receive this gift.. Late for work that I was. But the lightness in my step: Irreplaceable.

Nature, my Teacher

January 16, 2014 For the past few mornings, despite the unusually warm weather here in the bay area, Wind has been feeling quite gusty! Walking uphill to work, my first reaction is to bow my head down and close my eyes shut...but on this particular morning, I noticed the flowers in my peripheral vision, the soft petals on their heads smiling gloriously towards Wind, inviting her powerful energy into their day, as if they were saying, "thank you for your spirit"...and so I was inspired to join their welcoming and suddenly I felt so alive....how gentle a teacher these flowers were for me, so effortlessly reminding me of my own true nature...

Might Spider

a to be continued children's story:

Did you know that everything in our world is interconnected? From the sun to the moon to the flowers to the birds and animals to us human beings? Just as the sun rises to start the morning, the flowers bow in love, dew dripping onto the sweet blades of grass. The grass drinks it up so quickly, for they were thirsty from the night before!

Sun, well rested from his beauty sleep in the clouds, stretches his rays of warmth with a contented yawn, tickling the whispy, white clouds until they awaken, one by one. If you wake up early enough, you can see the clouds changing shape as they role around in their bed of Sky, poking one another playfully all the while. Of course, this is the picture of the ideal morning when everything has gone just as it should....

But poor Sun feels so terrible about the morning when he forgot to wake up....or rather, when Bird felt so disoriented from the city's pollution, that he just couldn't think clearly anymore and so instead of flying to Sun to wake him up that morning, poor Bird thought day was night and night was day.

On that morning, the clouds were sound asleep and the flowers on Mother Earth too, their petals softly folded over their eyes. The sweet blades of grass were folded in the blanket of Earth. Everyone was dozing, unaware that Mother Moon had fallen asleep after a long night of shining her light.

Poor Mother Moon, she tried so hard to stay awake and prolong the night until Sun woke up but she just couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. And all of the stars had by then fallen asleep too and without the stars, Mother Moon felt so alone.

So there it was. Mother Moon hanging crookedly in Sky, the way we look after falling asleep on a couch that's too little for us. Sun still dozing and Mother Earth completely unaware that everything was off. What to do!?

Thank goodness for Mighty Little Spider that literally saved the Day! Mighty Little Spider always woke up every morning at 5:30 am on the dot . He slept in his web, woven into an inconspicuous corner of Mother Earth, always worried about disturbing others with his sticky web. Each morning, perched on the edge of his delicately spun web, Mighty Spider eagerly awaited his favorite part of the day, rubbing two of his legs together in anticipation...oh, the beauty and warmth of the glorious sun...he loved how the sun's rays made the fine strings in his web sparkle like silver threads in the morning glow...no one really appreciated his existence the way they did flowers or even grass but the Sun made him feel seen and loved.

So when 5:45 am came and there was still no Sun, Mighty Spider started to worry...had he woken up too early? Had Sun decided to share his rays with everyone else except him? He peeked down through his web and saw that all the flowers were still sound asleep, their petals covered over their heads. Hmmm....what was going on!?

And then Mighty Spider remembered something! What did he remember, you might wonder? Well, it hit him like a light bulb! He realized that there had to be something wrong with Sun...he was sure it was almost 6:00 am by now because he saw the sweet blades of grass turning here and there, searching for the drops of dew that the flowers usually shared in the early morning...they were thirsty!

Mighty Spider decided that it was up to him to literally save the day! Oh how excited he was...for once his web making skills would be appreciated and even respected! He started spinning and spinning so fast, faster than he had ever spun in his whole life...if he could spin his web up into one of the bird's nest and send the urgent message to Bird that Sun had forgotten to wake up, then maybe Bird could deliver the message to Sun.

Sure Bird would get all the credit for saving the day, but Mighty Spider realized that the greater well being of Mother Earth was at stake. How could he only think of himself at such a time?! He knew that awakening Sun was greater than himself and the thought of that inspired him!

With no more time to waste, Mighty Spider got into action mode, spinning faster than ever before until his web was long enough to swing onto Tree and scurry up his branches to wake up Bird.

To be continued....

The Other Side of Hope

February 15, 2014
What is the other side of Hope? Is it the Night sky on a Starless Night, Even the Moon only a Sliver of Light? In these Moments in Time 
Everything in our World Shockingly Halts,
As if our Lives were immortal (!) 
The wheels under our feet Screech to a Stop
Everything that seemed so important just Seconds ago.... 
Meaningless Now....so Frivolous, like the Garnish on a Silver plate
Hope-lessness evokes the sound of a Long and Tired Sigh
But Feels coated in Eggplant Purple
Shining an iridescent Light
Beaming Brightly into our Heart Center
Imagine your Heart like a Warm and Fuzzy Thing
Its arms wide Open, Just waiting to be Hugged
In that Moment that seemed Hope-less
We can finally Hear the Whispering Wisdom of Intuition.
"Just Feel and Be Free."
We hear this voice so clearly when a loved one passes from our lives, Suddenly the neurons of our Heart are given recognition.
But for how long?
Inevitably the Wheel beneath our feet begins Spinning again
And we allow ourselves to be Carried along, Comforting ourselves with the Illusion of Tomorrow.
If Intuition had a Beating Heart that we could decipher with words, Right now it would tell me to Stop.
So much of this seems Crazy and Senseless
What are we really Doing here?
And why do we keep doing it?
I am a Human-Being... Not a human-doing.
Today Time Stopped...and Hope-lessness?
It Transformed itself
Into the Wisdom I always Held...
But never Acknowledged...

Being with Raghbhai

“If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time.  But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” (Lila Watson, from Indicorps website)

Since I have been back from India, many people have asked me one question that has been difficult to answer.  “What did you do while you were there?”  How do I answer this? Throughout the indescribable five weeks that I spent with the Manav Sadhna community at the Gandhi Ashram, I did a lot of being and very little actual doing.  As I have been reflecting on this, I’ve experienced various reactions, ranging from guilt for not doing anything that created tangible results to utter joy from the simplicity of just being.  I wasn’t sure how to process these contradictory emotions.  Recently, a few friends sat down with me and compassionately forced me to think through these feelings (you know who you areJ).  The conversation, guided by deep and present listening, led me to question the standard measuring stick we often apply to our contributions and I’m realizing more everyday that heart-led being creates infinite and immeasurably more ripples than mind-led doing.  This is not to say that we do nothing and just sit back and observe.  Rather, I believe heart-led being is what ultimately creates a doing that is not driven by ego or ambition, but instead, by purity of intention.  And this is what allows for co-creative forces to organically coalesce, contributing to the greater good in distinct, yet equally valuable ways.

So, in a nutshell, I guess this is how I would answer the question that prompted all of this pondering to begin with!  And what ripples have this heart-led being created since I have been back? Infinite and immeasurable ones….and they are still being createdJ.  But this personal reflection has more to do with the being I experienced while in India.  How was I being?  A lot of it was through my heart’s friend, Raghubhai.

“Everyone makes me a hero but I always strive to make myself zero…this is the only way that I can truly connect with people at the heart level.”

Raghubhai has been called many things. Shravan. Love Warrior. Noble Friend. All of these names are fitting, yet no names or words can really capture Raghubhai’s spirit.  For years, he has devoted his time to acting sort of like a “meals on wheels”.  He personally delivers tiffins (Indian lunch boxes) to elderly individuals in the slums that rely on the sympathy of their neighbors for nutritious food.  Raghubhai began serving in this way through the help of a single donation that has replicated itself ever since (mainly through anonymous, unsolicited donations).

After reading all of this, you might be surprised to learn that Raghubhai does all of this without the assistance of his legs.  He lost the ability to walk after contracting polio at the age of three.  But with a smile that lights up the entire street, Raghubhai pedals a hand operated tricycle to maneuver through Ahmedabad’s busy city roads and through the narrow slum alleyways.  In the front of his tricycle, he is able to squeeze in 14 steel tiffins, each with three tiers of food containers.  At the entrance of each tiny room, he hops off his tricycle and walks on his hands to greet each person.  Raghubhai personally delivers these tiffins so that he can spend quality time with each person, hear their struggles, and support them in other ways if possible.  Because his amazing spirit brings out the generosity in everyone around him, nearby neighbors volunteer themselves to carry the tiffins and walk along with Raghubhai through the alleyways.  If you tried to praise Raghubhai’s compassion, his response would be that he is just an instrument through which God is serving those that are most in need.

When I first heard about him through friends that have volunteered at Manav Sadhna, my heart went out to him and I thought, “Wow, what an amazing person…I can’t believe he cannot walk.”  After meeting and delivering tiffins with him, my thoughts have transformed.  Raghubhai’s bright spirit and infinite kindness creates ripples of compassion everywhere he goes.  These ripples manifest themselves externally and internally.  It seems that everyone that crosses his path is inspired to serve with him and something inside is changed by the end of the day.  It might be a quiet and subtle shift but it is a shift nonetheless.  And it seems that this shift spills into everything else in our lives…at least this is what being with Raghubhai has created for me.

I feel that, actually I know, that I went to India in search of spiritual love and belonging.  I desperately wanted to find my purpose and my place.  I wanted to make a tangible contribution that would allow me to feel like my life, my existence mattered.  Almost immediately upon arriving, I grappled with the ethos of Manav Sadhna, which is to create and contribute by being rather than focusing on doing.  How could I just be when I only had five weeks to do?  Would I leave India not having accomplished anything?  What would bemy contribution???  I was excited to meet Raghubhai during my second week…finally, I could help him to deliver food and I could fall asleep happy, knowing that I had done something.  But as I spent more and more time with him, and Raghubhai became my friend, delivering food was just icing on the cake.  What I looked forward to more than anything else was just being with him.  Being in his presence expanded my heart and opened my eyes.  The analysis paralysis of my mind took a break for once.  I didn’t know whether I was being or doing or both but it didn’t matter because I was so content!

As the weeks raced by me and the time for returning to my life in DC approached, fear crept into me.  How could I possibly return in the middle of winter to a city that seems to thrive off of never ending “happy hours” and conversations that revolve around that dreaded question, “What do you do (in your profession)?”  I felt myself clinging to the people and environment around me.  I became convinced that I couldn’t leave. So much so that when I got to the airport, I learned that my domestic flight to Delhi had been canceled, causing me to miss my connecting international flight (Signs from the universe or my stupidity for flying on Air India?)!

Arriving back at the airport in Washington Dulles was tough. All I wanted to do was to get on the next flight back to India.  But the very next day I somehow crawled out of bed and went to work. Nothing had changed….yet everything had changed.  As I have gone about my work/life routine over the past month, I’ve noticed a subtle shift taking place in my outlook, which of course spills into my interactions and decisions.  The more present that I am in my interactions with anyone, judgments and presumptions (even subconscious ones) are replaced by love and acceptance.  Perhaps just being with Raghubhai has helped to create more of a being spirit in my life back here.

One of my most heartwarming memories with Raghubhai was during one of my last nights in Ahemedabad. He had just been gifted a three wheel scooter by a team of love warriors so that he could perform his work more quickly and easily.  (Pedaling a heavy tiffen laden tricycle with your hands is no joke, which I quickly realized the few times I shared a seat with him.)  So there I was sitting on the back of his scooter, zooming through the busy night streets on our way to Seva Cafe, the car lights behind us a blurry mist, and he started singing a spiritual song at the top of his lungs.  Raghubhai has been gifted with a beautiful voice (scroll to the bottom in the “comments” section) perhaps because God knew he would use it to bring light to others.  I looked up at the vast sky above us and smiled in gratitude to the universe.

Reflecting on that evening now as well as Raghubhai’s angelic voice, I am also reminded of a recent note that my friend Rahul Pardasani posted in reference to him.  It was taken from the writings of Kahlil Gibran’s, “The Prophet”, and it said:

“And you receivers… and you are all receivers… assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives.

Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings;

For to be overmindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the freehearted earth for mother, and God for father.”

The gratitude that each person feels when they cross paths with Raghubhai has inspired many to fast on Thursdays and donate the money that would have gone towards their lunch or dinner towards Raghubhai’s tiffin fund.  “Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings.”

When I asked Raghubhai about his views on spirituality, he shared with me that he sees God in everyone.  Perhaps this is how he was able to see the need in the elderly when everyone else had forgotten.  Perhaps this is how he is able to bring hope and unity into the homes of families that are experiencing terrible difficulties.  Delivering tiffins by day, Raghubhai also delivers holy tulsi plants by evening.  These plants have a deep symbolic meaning in Hindu tradition and they are meant to bring peace and harmony into our environment.  He sings a special prayer with each plant that is delivered.  After the completion of the tulsi ceremony I felt the beauty of his voice lingering in the air, touching everyone with love.

While growing up as a boy in a small rural town, Raghubhai spent evenings listening to lectures from the Bhagavad Gita.  Something that resonated with him was the teaching about attachment and service.  Do not get attached to the fruits of your labor.  This is what creates expectations and takes away from the purity of your original intention.

“My world has changed ever since I came to Manav Sadhna. From the people here, I started thinking positive all the time.  No matter if I am doing something small, I do my best to help someone by giving compassion and love.  I used to second guess my open emotions and wondered, “Should I show them my love?” But now I love openly. No matter what is happening in the world, I want to continue doing good work.  I can’t become Jayeshbhai but I can learn from his thoughts and his actions and try to be like him.  I pray to continue learning and growing.  He came forward from his karma and I want to come forward from my good karma, from my love.  Everyone makes me a hero but I always strive to make myself zero…this is the only way that I can truly connect with people at the heart level.”

Cultivating selfless, pure love is a journey over many lifetimes.  When I become lost along my path, I know I can always reflect on Raghubhai’s life as a guiding light.

- See more at: http://mammovies.com/blogs/2012/02/14/being-with-raghubhai/#sthash.GJOBL2dG.GghooUir.dpuf

Seconds in moments of our lives

January 24, 2014 Nearing the end of another day as dusk settles velvety purple into the Pacific Ocean. On the other side of the world my husband awakes with the first rays of dawn and the high pitched horns of rickshaws. While only a 12 hour difference on the human clock, it seems like months if we measured time in moments.
If we measured time in moments, how many moments pass us by unnoticed or unexpressed?
I wonder how many moments we lose in an hour as they slip by so unassuming, dressed in camouflage, skirting through the second hand before the minute has a chance to capture their beauty?
Imagine if we measured time, not by the tasks to be completed by a certain hour, but instead by the moments in between, the stuff that makes up life. Would the mundane reveal itself to be something more colorful than its shallow exterior leads us to believe?
I remember the seconds before the #18 rolls up Solano Avenue every morning, my mind already climbing the steps and scanning my card before the bus has even stopped in front of me.
Reeling back in time and living those seconds anew, I catch a glimpse of a butterfly's wings, flapping so quickly that a liquid rainbow fills my peripheral vision.
I notice the kindness in the bus driver's eyes before quickly brushing past him to be on my way. Will his days begin and end just like mine?
I feel the warmth of the sun, its rays bursting through each and every window, casting a light of possibility.
I catch a glimpse of a bundled up baby, pulled in close to her mother's heart...and a sea of vibrantly colored flowers waving in the crisp breeze
I count my breaths second by second as I climb each step to the office on Shattuck Street...and feel the beating of my heart... And realize for that elusive second what a miracle it really is.
Only 30 minutes on a clock... But 1800 seconds in moments of our lives.

This thing called worry

January 21, 2014 What is this thing called Worry? It comes and goes as it pleases, uninvited as usual, dressed in that dreary black dress, and staying much longer than what is considered polite. All the other thoughts, especially the pleasant ones, seem to not stay long enough, in a hurry it seems to light up another person's heart with joy and enthusiasm. They're like the popular stars of the party, overbooked at three different appearances on the same night and you should feel so lucky that they made time to show up at your party! What if I could find a way to rush Worry out the door and send her on her way with a quick smile and a firm click of the door? I'm sure Worry would hunch up her shoulders and scrunch up her face, ready to throw a tantrum and holler with great resistance! Similar to any child that feels like she isn't being heard or appreciated, perhaps Worry is simply asking for a little bit of acknowledgment. "I'm real. I exist, whether you like me or not!" Ok Worry, I get it. You're as real as Optimism and Hope, Joy and Excitement. In fact, all of you really are the same, ephemeral in nature, visiting for a blip in time. The only HUGE difference is that Optimism, Hope, Joy, and Excitement enjoy being shared and multiplied...the more we share these delightful guests with others, the more often they seem to visit! Worry, on the other hand, gets no enjoyment out of being shared...she just wants to be acknowledged for her very important role. The magic of Worry is that while you can't entertain her for too long without becoming depleted of all your wonderful hostess energy, if you just let her hang out for a few minutes and sit with her as a compassionate observer, then Poof, all of a sudden she's gone! And the party of life goes on...many more thoughts just waiting to be entertained:).

A Priceless Moment

January 15, 2014: A Priceless Moment on the subway: On my way to SF on the morning BART... I like everyone else busy on this thing that's like an ex-tension of my arm... I'm reading this morning's Daily Good article about bringing what is priceless into out daily lives, moment to moment...For a second I look up and am lucky to catch a glimpse of a bird soaring through the crisp, blue sky... I smile to myself imagining the energy shift inside this metal compartment if the bird somehow decided to pay us all a visit, plopping himself carefreely on someone's head, piercing his eyes into mine, as if challenging me to imagine the impossible, the ludicrous, the stuff we only dream of in the midst of a hazy afternoon lost in a computer screen. Im-possible? Or radically Possible?

The Sun's bedtime rituals

January 11, 2014

a day spent with legal writing suddenly activated my right brain...

I remember driving back from Nadiad with Aryan sitting on my lap as the sun was setting...he gazed outside the window and I asked him if he knew why it was setting...our conversation revealed that the sun also becomes tired at the end of a very long day of shining its warmth and so just like humans and animals, he must take rest. But before nestling himself into the cushiony clouds, there are so many friends that he must bid good-night...all of the birds come flocking to him as well to kiss him on his warm, rosy cheeks. And just as the sun dips himself into his favorite pair of pajamas, his friend, Mother Moon, rises with a lovely yawn, stretching her arms here and there before settling herself into the night sky...she shines her light selflessly onto Earth as her friend Sun rests. Sometimes, when she is being naughty and mischievous, Mother Moon gathers all of her star friends to sprinkle their star dust all over Sun while he's asleep! It's in the mornings after Sun has been sprinkled with star dust that the Sun-rise is the most glorious...even though poor Sun is sneezing the entire time! Mother Moon can only giggle in the background, for she is hidden now from Earth. But if we humans could see her giggling, we would see Mother Moon's tummy bouncing up and down with such innocent joy:) Usually the Sun feigns displeasure and reaches his rays around Earth to tickle Mother Moon's tummy so that her giggle becomes uncontrollable!

Wedding

November 21, 2013
In India getting ready for the wedding....it's all sort of strange running here and there for things I apparently must buy...jewelry, clothes, etc.....it didn't feel like India though, despite the chaos of life out in the streets, until I visited some of the Moved By Love and Manav Sadhna family at the Gandhi Ashram....then that familiar love within my heart began to emerge anew, slowly rubbing its eyes and remembering, letting out a quiet sigh, the kind of sigh that only comes forth when you know you're home, where you're meant to be...

Mr. Moon and Tree

October 19, 2013

Once upon a time there lived Tree. Tree was very tall, hovering over the entire forest, and quite leafy with lots of twisty branches. All the creatures loved Tree, for she was wise and gentle, but also so much fun! Every season the birds would come flocking, eager to find the best spot in Tree's leafy branches to weave their nests. The squirrels would climb up and down and over and under, searching for the perfect nook and cranny to hide their hard earned treasures. And the tiniest of critters, especially the most elegant and beautiful of them all-Little Ms. Lady Bug, would crawl here and there, and drink with joy from the pools of water collected within Tree's leaves.

Tree was so generous and loved her friends just as much as they loved her. One night, after all the creatures had fallen into a deep, restful sleep, Tree was still awake, humming to herself, her branches dancing softly in the night breeze. She arched her eyebrows and tipped her head back to greet Mr. Moon.

"Hello Mr. Moon. How do you do tonight?"

Yawning, Mr. Moon said, "Oh, I'm ok. I guess I'm just bored. Every night I do the same thing and I don't get to have fun like all your friends in the forest. I have to be responsible and light up the sky."

"Oh Mr. Moon, don't you know how beautiful your light is? It shines so silvery and bright, even the stars twinkle with joy to be in your presence!"

"But I want to have fun! I guess I just get lonely up here all by myself."

"Oh, well why don't you come down here for a bit? Everyone is asleep and no one will notice that you left the sky for a few minutes! Come on down and swing on my branches!"

"Oh, really? Do you think I could really do that? It would be so much fun and make me so happy!"

"Of course!"

"Ok! Well here I come!"

And so Mr. Moon left the sky and swung in the twisty branches, bouncing his light from leaf to leaf, laughing in delight. When it was time to return to the sky, Mr. Moon felt so refreshed and even brighter than he did before.

Ever since that evening, from time to time, every once in a while, Mr. Moon still decides to leave the sky for a few minutes and have a little fun with his friend Tree.

He heard from his friend in the sky, Ms Cloud, that the humans have started calling these instances something strange..."lunar eclipse". Humans are such funny creatures...maybe they too should just have a little fun, take a break, and swing in Tree's branches:).

A Moment of Silent Gratitude

a moment of silent gratitude, March 14, 2013

anted memories that yellow with time...love has graced my life and overflowed my cup in the form of tears and laughter, shared meals and cupcakes, incredibly thoughtful gifts that I don't feel I deserve, and hugs, so many warm hugs....how can one person receive so much without wondering why and wondering how I will ever pay it all forward? moving here to the west coast was a huge leap of faith, enabled by an awesome community of support...but in the middle of Wednesdays meditation last night in Santa Clara, the sadness of letting go and moving forward began to sink in, followed by that familiar fear of the unknown...it occurred to me then that perhaps this overflowing cup of love is waiting to be shared....it needs to be shared in every moment, with every passing interaction in nature, with animals, or with my fellow human beings...but it takes courage to honor the love you have been given and pay it forward into the world...to see opportunities to give, even when you're not sure it will be received...this is the most challenging for me, this is my edge...what better way to make the mind stop than to push against your edges and be in a state of love?

This passage by Kent Nerburn expresses it best:

"Love has its time, its own season, its own reason for coming and going. You cannot bribe it or coerce it, or reason it into staying. You can only embrace it when it arrives and give it away when it comes to you. [...] Love always has been and always will be a mystery. Be glad that it came to live for a moment in your life."