Love expands
“...And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13
This week I experienced an array of emotions. My week began on Sunday, attending a beautiful church service honoring the pastor I worked with for the last two years. Her retirement service was filled with wonderful music, scripture, prayers, food and most importantly, love…
You could literally feel the love in that church…Her sermon that day prompted me to search for the love that surrounds us - even though there are times we struggle to see it.
A few days later, I lost my uncle and with his passing, a reminder of my past, all the dear memories of all those I have loved, and still love, from his generation. But along with those feelings of sadness, I felt blessed to belong to such a wonderful, extended family that supports one another. And I felt…love….
On Thursday, my husband and I dropped our son off at college. More feelings…many swirling emotions…Like his high school graduation just a few months earlier, this was a milestone, marking the beginning of a new chapter and the end of another. And yet I felt…love…
Having quiet evenings, without the conversations and activity of our son Michael, and his friends randomly stopping by, there is much more time for myself.
I started watching early episodes of Little House on the Prairie and enjoying the wholesome messages they portrayed…a reminder of my youth and simpler times, where relationships were more the focus of our world.
In an episode from season two, Laura makes friends with a local fisherman, unaware he is also the new town banker with the reputation of being mean.
Pa Ingalls explains to Laura, “Some folks just like to think the worst about other folks. Maybe he is afraid of being hurt…If you never love someone, you never have to worry about that person hurting you. Friends and loved ones are always the ones to give you joy and sorrow…But if you are afraid of sorrow, you will never have any joy either…You can’t go through this life being afraid to love…”
As he tucked her in, he kissed her goodnight and told her, “Now why don’t you try closing your eyes and try thinking about all the people that love you…”
That episode reminded me of a speech that another one of my childhood favorites, Mister Rogers, gave when he received a lifetime achievement award.
Here is an excerpt from his speech, "So many people have helped me…Some of you are here, some are far away and some are even in Heaven. All of us have special ones who loved us into being.
Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are, those who cared about you and wanted what was best for you in life. Ten seconds of silence.. I'll watch the time… Whomever you've been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they have made.”
That gentle reminder once again, not only brought me comfort but it filled me with love.
Maybe that is a lesson for all of us. We start to become what we surround ourselves with and we receive what we send out into the world.
…And what the world needs now is more love…I feel it. I’m up to the challenge. How about you?
What do you think?
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Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here’s this week’s:
This week’s Smile Video
Reid Moon of Zelienople, Pennsylvania, is no ordinary retired school bus driver. Over a period of decades, he fostered a connection, lasting into adulthood, with hundreds of students who took his bus to school over the years. Steve Hartman has his story in "On the Road."
#believe #stevehartman #smilevideos
What I am reading…
This summer I started reading books by Anne Lamott. I discovered her while listening to a sermon from the guest pastor at the church where I work and I was intrigued enough to check out a small stack of her works from our local public library.
This week I am finishing up Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace.
The Amazon summary is as follows: “Anne Lamott writes about faith, family, and community in essays that are both wise and irreverent. It’s an approach that has become her trademark. Now in Small Victories, Lamott offers a new message of hope that celebrates the triumph of light over the darkness in our lives. Our victories over hardship and pain may seem small, she writes, but they change us—our perceptions, our perspectives, and our lives. Lamott writes of forgiveness, restoration, and transformation, how we can turn toward love even in the most hopeless situations, how we find the joy in getting lost and our amazement in finally being found.
Profound and hilarious, honest and unexpected, the stories in Small Victories are proof that the human spirit is irrepressible.”
If you have never read any of her books, I suggest starting with this one.
What books are you reading that you enjoy? Please leave me a comment about it - I would love to hear about them!
Sharing Family Favorites…
In July, I shared a tribute to my mother entitled Love Made Visible. This week I am sharing another one of her recipes from her cookbook. This was actually her mother’s recipe and it is very yummy - a family holiday treat!
Just Ten Seconds…
Fred Rogers' induction into the TV Critics' Television Hall of Fame is especially touching when Jeff Erlanger, who had visited on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as a boy in a wheelchair, surprises Fred by making the presentation on stage. Addressing the audience of television celebrities and producers, Fred speaks of his great respect for and understanding of the power of television—"How do we make goodness attractive?"
Children’s Corner
Back in 1999, when I was an elementary school librarian, I started a project where I wrote letters (old fashioned, printed letters) to a variety of famous people. This was prior to the daily use of email and text messages. My questions were simple…
1) From your own life experiences, how has reading affected your life in a positive manner?
2) Was there any particular person or experience in your life that made you aware of the value of literature and the importance of reading?
I am going to share these letters and let you experience the joy many of my students (and myself) have gotten from their touching words - Here is this week’s:
September is Library Card Sign-up Month!
A Library Card is ELEMENTAL!
Get in Your Element this September—sign up for a library card! From borrowing books, ebooks, and museum passes to getting homework help, learning new skills, or attending story time, a library card helps you do more of what you enjoy. Get a library card and dive into a new hobby. Use your library card to tinker in a maker space and spark your creativity. A library card is your most important school supply—it's elemental, really—and everyone should have one!
Celebrate and Spread the Word
Visit your library to see what's new and take part in the celebration. Libraries across the country are participating. Do you have friends who don't have a library card? Invite them to sign up during September. For more info visit: https://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/card
Music Moments
Music inspires me in many ways. Here’s a song from Rev. Julie’s retirement service that was absolutely beautiful:
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….