A few days ago I was scrolling through my IG account and found a picture of my dear guy BFF (Best Friends Forever), yes, we still call each other that even in our adult years. He seemed troubled and disconnected from the world although well connected as it was a social media app, after all. I sent him a text the following morning to see if he was okay. He mentioned his concerns for life. He was in deep, self-reflection mode.
You see, my friend is awesome. And, I'm not just saying that because he's my friend. His life is about as wonderful as it gets and this guy is by far one of the most amazing people I have the privilege of knowing. He's kind, friendly, holds a great job, is financially stable and smart with his possessions, generous with his time and makes friends every where he goes. Speaking of going, he also loves to travel and try new things. Oh, and did I mention he loves dogs? One in particular. A mid-sized Wheaten Terrier, named Bella who is ready to go on any car ride her human papa takes her.
So, back to the text. I responded with deeper concern and asked what prompted his self-talk? Like me, he too, had realized his life was going exceptionally well, and although never discounting what he does have, he was still wondering about what he was missing. Love.
Ahh, the never ending complexity of our lives and what we all naturally seek out, even the cynics. Love. It can seemingly feel like the heaviest weight on your shoulders or lift you up when the rest of the world seems to disappear.
"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." -Corinthians 13:13
Love is like the sunlight in my book. It is the source of all things and refreshes all things and brings life to all things but when it fades away, your life can feel lost without it.
To be rich in life is pressure pushed on us from society. We must make money to show precedence. We have to dress sharply to make people see us as successful and we must speak eloquently to show our intelligence, but when we go home and throw our wallet on the floor, strip off our clothes and meddle in the silence of our empty nest, where is society?
Being alone in the silence is the loudest form of noise that is out there. Needing approval is not needed when we are stripped down to our most comfortable pair of sweatpants and allow our disheveled hair to prance around our head. The urgency to hold someone is an ache that runs deep into the core and the lack of just saying "How was your day?" to someone who loves you, can make a error-free task a simple solution to what your day was missing. It can be that source of connection needed to filter out all the advertisements on the billboards, the soap opera dramas of daily interactions, and the perpetual annoyance of hard-working hours day in and day out. To catch your breath and let someone just hold you is the single-least moment of fear that is desired and that everyone should have.
When I concentrate on my friend, I admire his strength to communicate to the universe on his needs and wants. He needs a partner and wants to share his life with someone. There's no other need or want that is greater than that here on earth and when we align our faith, do not give up hope, and Love ourselves, I believe that the Love that we seek will inevitably come.
