SoS, incredible story there about your uncle. Your entire post was beautiful. Hugs
Summer, I can definitely understand where you are coming from. I guess whichever way you cut it – it all irks of unfair and unfinished business. Either he had found love and was cut short or he hadn't yet had the chance and was still looking, so it seems cruel both ways. The reason why I was so happy to hear the song and what I got out of Justus comment about 'summing things up for the thread' was an answer to the question in the name of the thread and some of the recent discusion about true love that had been going on. I, therefore, understood those few lines to mean that indeed Michael had found true love, however shortlived that might have been, and I was very happy for him.
It's very possible, probable even that I read into it all too much. I remember a little story from a book I once read – a young man was in a park and was enthused at the sight of a darkhaired girl and he didn't know how to approach her so he was very happy when he saw her look towards him and wave. It turns out she was signaling her boyfriend, who was sitting behind him. The man was together with a friend and he confinded – but I was so sure that was a sign. Then his friend told him – how come you didn't notice the nice blonde girl sitting on the bench next to you who was obviously interested to know more about you? So, I guess that was a cautionary tale about seeing what we want to see, or maybe an appeal for settling on what we can attain or to notice the obvious, I don't even know myself.
In any case, the bottomline of what I am actually tryin to say is – I know we may be hurting very much now, especially when hearing or seeing videos of Michael, but we must understand that
there is soooo much beauty in the world, so much goodness and kindness out there (done by people more or less famous in the quiet knowledge they need neither approval nor praise for what they are doing), but
also so much injustice and hurt that need intervention, that
we must find our strength to wipe the tears, roll up the sleeves and get to work and by that I don't necessarily mean go out at once and volunteer for an NGO, but simply
try and enjoy life to the maximum in the smallest of details of daily life and give a helping hand when we can.
I would have posted a few photos to prove to you all how wonderful and magical this world of ours still is (from Tuscany, Provence and Tirol all the way to Japan and many other places in between) despite our sorrow, but it would have been way too much, it might have looked like a tourism offer LOL.
I'll try and wrap up this newest rambling of mine by going back a bit into the whole question of love, cause that's what this thread is all about, at the end of the day, right? I was thinking about the question
what is love, and I came up with some answers. I am sure all of you can find similar meanings, if not in different lights and prisms. In my humble guess
LOVE IS............watching the sunset and remain in awe at the splendor of the clouds and the hues in the sky
LOVE IS.............a Saturday morning wearing nothing but a shirt of his and walking around the house
LOVE IS.............sitting around a coffetable with friends reminiscing about exams in school and the awful, dreadful teachers which had 'tortured' your youth
LOVE IS.............being welcomed by the dogs when returning home after a 3 day trip and see them react as if they hadn't seen you in years
LOVE IS............picking up stawberries from your garden and thanking God for providing you the chance to do that
LOVE IS............eating broccoli made by your mother in law for the first time although you do not like it
LOVE IS.............eating a bit of broccoli made by your mother in law the second time before honestly telling her that you actually hate it
LOVE IS.............playing cards with your folks and the rest of the family, enjoying your birthday cake while receiving endless calls from friends wishing you well
LOVE IS.............trying to mop the floor in the living room while the cat can't stop playing with the strands of fabric
LOVE IS.............denying your child a second piece of chocolate and risk their resentment for the moment, because you know that is a smaller price to pay then to see them hurt
LOVE IS............creating an awkward handmade birthday card for him made out of cinnamon rolls and dried flowers and have it look like the work of a 6 year old and him loving it nonetheless
LOVE IS............watching cartoons long after you have 'left' childhood behind and still laugh at the same scenes in Tom and Jerry as you did when you were a child
LOVE IS............having a picnic with him on a one tree hill, where you made the sandwhiches and he filled the rest of the basket with drinks, napkins and everything else
LOVE IS............attending Easter mass in church and feel your spirit sour at midnight when the darkness of the night is pierced by the light of the Resurrection circulating from one candle held by people to the next
LOVE IS............taking care of youself and presenting yourself before him as you did when you first saw him, not taking for granted his love and his needs
LOVE IS............raising your children teaching them that no matter how much beauty, money or social status they might have, they should never consider themselves better than anyone else
LOVE IS...........leaving behind a house you built with sweat and tears because you know home is where the heart is
LOVE IS...........looking in his eyes and see the same wonderful man you fell in love with even if now, after many decades, he snors like a horse (do horses even do that? Lol) or asks you for the 10000th time where the salt at in the kitchen; or perhaps he was snoring even at the beginning?
And for a little musical interlude LOVE IS.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmRJo8RQ5sA from the wonderful guys the Verve – a nice little piece of music - romantic, socially aware and with a bit of a spiritual seasoning on the side, just how I love my art.
Since today is Thankgiving day in Canada (not that I come from there, I know Ape does), I would still like to
thank all of you for sharing your thoughts and kindness here and to ask your forgiveness if at times my ramblings or interventions have been out of place or utterly senseless. Today is also Columbus day – just think, had Isabel of Castille not given him the money needed for the travel, we might not have had the chance to sit across the ocean and exchange views LOL.
PEACE and LOVE and good night folks. I have a feeling a lot of the cluelessness of my posts has to do with the fact that I find myself writing well into the wee hours of the morning.
