Love When We Need It Most

I am sitting here this morning thinking about what to write. My inspiration has been a little cloudy lately. A couple of weeks ago, my dog passed unexpectedly and I was heartbroken. Although it was devastating, I tried to grasp for understanding. I am sure that is what we all do when bad things happen. It is part of human nature to search for an answer and to try to understand the why behind events that are outside of our control.

The morning after my dog was gone, I had countless calls from wonderful friends that were concerned for my well being. They took the time to reach out and some of them cried with me. As we talked and cried on the phone, my heart began to heal. I understood that I was not alone and I will forever be grateful for the friends and family I have. They are a blessing to me. I saw the same kindness and love via social media for those that were in turmoil when confronting Mother Nature.

I have watched the events that have transpired in this country over the last few weeks and have questioned why as we all have. Families evacuated, fires, flooding, storms, and unpredictable occurrences have led to such great anxiety and heartbreak for all involved. We have watched as so many have hurt and it has been overwhelming.


When the nightly news tells the story of all that is happening, they sometimes leave out the beauty in human interaction that tragedy brings. Thanks to the circulation of these stories on social media, our faith in humanity can be somewhat restored. All of a sudden, there were less riots and demonstrations and I saw kindness. A long line of trucks were pulling boats on the way to Houston to help rescue people that were stranded. A man gave up the last generator for a woman who's father was in need of electricity due to medical equipment and we shared in their kindness with a picture of their embrace in the local hardware store. Corporations have donated time and money to help make our country a better place and for a moment, the aggression and fights stopped. We all took a deep breath as Irma hit the Keys and prayed for the best. We prayed for the safety of strangers and hoped that all would be well.

As I pondered these stories and reflected on the people that supported me and understood me in my time of need, the thought occurred that perhaps, bad things happen to allow us to feel empathy and compassion for each other. No one wants to go through what so many people have in the last few weeks, but the love in this country has gotten stronger. It has outweighed the hate if even for just a moment. I am grateful for the evidence that love is the strongest power. It is a beautiful thing. We have the power to create such beauty in our lives if we would just take a moment to focus on the positive and drive to a strong result.

I have learned a valuable lesson over the past couple of weeks about allowing myself to be vulnerable. I have fought it so many times and that is probably due to my Southern heritage (see Gone With The Wind). I understand the value in being open to another person and appreciating them for their contribution to my life. I have had many relationships where it was easy to care for someone emotionally unavailable because, with pride intact, I did not have to give of myself or be upfront with my feelings. It amazes me how life presents you with the opportunities you need to grow and learn every time. There is beauty in real human connection and the happiness we can experience will overcome all of the pain, fear, and sadness that is out there.

Do not wait for Irma to hit your life before sharing how much you care and be open to those that make your life sweeter. It is the best part of being alive.