When someone speaks of love, they have a smile on their face.
When someone speaks of love, they may think of a special place.
When someone speaks of love, it is done with fondness.
When someone speaks of love, it is done with kindness.
When someone speaks of love, it is not with dismay.
Let us speak of love and brighten someones day.
I'm not sure who wrote this poem, but it sure put a smile on my face. Just thinking about falling in love with my husband and the first place we told one another, "I love you" can lift my spirits in a heartbeat.
After making the decision to limit my time on Facebook and realizing not only was my mood and energy lifted, another decision to limit my time and in most cases do away with watching the news was also made. It has helped me on so many levels that I can barely wait to get things done!
This realization has helped me to birth a project that has been stirring in my heart for several years now. I'll be sharing more about this project in the weeks and months to come, but what I can tell you is that I am calling it, "What the World Needs Now".
When I was asked to pray for the country the evening before President Trump took the oath of office, I did look throughout the news and on social media to see what people were concerned about. People were arguing back and forth and the disrespect was troubling. The media hasn't helped the situation; it just seems to fuel a fire that at times feels that it will never be extinguished.
Some people did share that many people were acting out of fear and taking that into consideration helped me to understand why anger was playing such a big role in their behavior. This didn't make some of the comments or actions acceptable, but it did help me to listen.
So, what does all of this have to do with love?
Within my own marriage, John can say something one way and I will hear something completely different. It's what we call, "He said, she heard" and it works both ways. It's when we open up the conversation and listen to one another that any issue that was there gets resolved. Some may call this compromise - we call it commitment and compassion for one another. For us, this is how compassion starts for not only us, but for our family and everyone we come in contact with.
Since February is the month of love, it seemed like a perfect time to begin this project. All of the details have yet to be worked out and it will be far from perfect, but knowing that starting is half of the battle is what is giving me the drive to start.
For me, this project will be about compassion for all. It will be about commitment to listening and learning from one another.
It will be about caring for each person in the world and being sensitive to what matters to each of us.
It will be about sharing ideas about how kindness can change the world.
It will be about brightening someones day.
It will be about love.
It will be about making a difference to even one more person. This is a fire that I want to burn brightly and to never go out.
Because this is "What the World Needs Now."
"Spread love wherever you go: first of all in your house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting." - Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
