Mama says that she doesn’t know many “guaranteed facts” of life but this: whatever you do not appreciate or are ungrateful for God/Universe takes from you. She wants to make sure I understand she is not talking about death–this is not that conversation. She says what she is referring to is blessings–material or through the caring of another. She says this is especially true when it comes to love in any form with any one in any type of relating. By love she means caring, sharing, and all forms that we know for a fact are not an abstraction but tangible mediums. She says love is an exchange of energy; it has to “go further”…it can’t just be held in a vacuum or in a thought. Love must be nurtured to grow.
She says it is not necessarily God’s way of punishing a person for being indifferent or dismissive for taking away what we are not grateful for. But because what is given must be taken care of, appreciated—be it a car, a roof on your head, a plant, a cloth–but especially love.
As I sit here and type the above she is now calling me to come have breakfast. She says I can do this later. “Food, sleep, dreams and love can’t wait. Everything else can.” I tell her it is her fault–I am typing out some words for my “soul packers”–friends who would appreciate what she said this morning–friends who refer to my mother as a “ball of glow.” So she agrees: I have five more minutes to type. “But no editing,” she adds sternly, knowing I can edit one sentence for hours (she speaks with such loving intentions that the word “sternly” is a misuse really but I am typing fast and hence will stick with it). I explain this is just a post which is similar to emailing ‘The List’ and not a writing piece I am working on. She doesn’t get the difference but she nods anyway.
She handed me this quote last night when I told her that true yoga bliss happens when we stretch and twist to arenas we couldn’t have imagined ourselves capable:
“…the act of extending one’s limits implies effort. One extends one’s limits only be exceeding them, and exceeding limits requires effort. When we love someone our love becomes demosntrable or real only through our exertion–through the fact that for that someone (or for yourself) we take an extra step or walk an extra mile. Love is not efforltess… the desire to love is not itslef love…Love is as love does…an intention and an action. Will also implies choice. We do not have to love. We chose to love…” ~ The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck.
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…reminds me my mom while reading.. how she always “loved” us..through all efforts, caring. Now when she is not here next to me – Only thing I remember really strong is how much she loved, was full of it..thank you my friend – again:)
@Patricia – we remember love when we forget all else…