Looking for Love

 

I have always loved that little monologue at the beginning of the movie "Love Actually" where Hugh Grant talks about all of the glimpses of love one can observe at the arrival/departure gate of any busy airport.  Hugs, people racing to embrace, long goodbyes, entheusiastic welcomes. Tears, smiles, laughter, embraces...love truly is all around.  

Earlier this week, I was feeling a little bit low, so I challenged myself to really open my eyes and look for the love I see all around me in my life....to really look closely and see with the heart.  At first, my eyes sought out the obvious...the love exchanged through smiles between a father and his baby girl, an affectionate shoulder squeeze during church, a warm hug shared between reunited friends...   But as I continued my search into the unearthed layers below the surface, I uncovered a display of Christmas lights outside the window, a warm cup of coffee that I did not prepare, a surprise scrubbed clean sink under the stack of dishes I was washing, a door opened for me, a Christmas card from a friend in the mail, a slice of time at home alone in a quiet house when I needed to just be alone, candlelight while thinking about Luke, the sound of my daughter laughing, the sight of two birds snuggled together on a wire, a tiny hand holding my wrist, a smile just for me... on and on my list of observations of love goes....and fuller and fuller my heart has become as a result.

It is the simplest challenge.  It does not cost a dime and it has tremendously impacted my heart's attitude and perspective on life and this world.  Rather than be bombarded by the negatives of the world and all of the crazy things that people are doing and saying these days, I'm choosing to keep my eyes open and focused on the love that is all around.  Love is a gift we get to both receive and give and when we search high and low for it, it becomes something we also treasure....especially the simplest, little glimpses.  (As an added bonus, this challenge has also helped me in my pursuit of practicing gratitude as well! )

May you always have all of the love you need and if your love tank is feeling a little bit low, I would challenge to open your eyes and heart to seeing and receiving all of the love and messages of love that are already there all around you.  By looking with new eyes and a full heart, I promise you can't help but find some.  Love actually is all around!

May you find more love than your heart can hold.

Blessings everyone!