There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved. George Sand
During COVID’s social distancing requirements, so many of our intimate, loving relationships have been limited to drive-by kisses, elbow rubs or online chats. The absence of physical touch has left most of us hungering to hug and be hugged. Not unlike my cat that rubs itself up against my legs, I find myself wanting to touch and kiss those near and dear. Clearly, COVID fatigue is more about feeling love-starved than physically tired.
As vaccinated populations approach herd immunity, the excitement surrounding our sense of freedom reminds me how significant love is to each and every one. In our hearts, we know that any being living for an extended period of time without love is wounded by its absence. With that in mind, there are many acts of love we can embrace and express. My poem below, from Mad Woman Laughing, speaks to some of these acts.
Left Loving
What is love?
Is it nature’s beauty
unsullied by human hands
when left to its own devices?
Is it an “Aha” breaking through
this cacophony of thought
to present its own riddle?
Is it the courage
to step into the hero’s journey
and seek without wanting?
Is it the shedding
of accumulated knowledge
upon discovering nothing is as it seems?
Is it letting go of grasping
for the future while holding to the past
to instead trust life’s process in the moment?
Or, is it the sight of big-horned sheep
perched effortlessly at the edge of comfort
to savour the chin scratch of human touch?
A little to the left, please.
May your acts of love heal all wounds. Namaste.
