Karla’s Korner: Choose Love….

Choose Love….

Rambling through the backyard on a recent Saturday afternoon I stop, breathe deep, close my eyes and let the air slowly seep out of my lungs. Springtime in rural Virginia is a wonderful mix of crisp mornings and beautiful warm afternoons. Sometimes I think if I listen hard enough I can hear the buds on the trees burst open displaying tiny new leaves that will grow and provide cool shade in the heat of the summer. On this particular afternoon the dogwood blooms were slowly drifting to the ground and one in particular caught my eye. Lying in the moss covered damp dirt between the shadows cast from the deck rails the heart shaped bloom appeared to be behind bars. As I thought about this image I was reminded that quite often we feel as though life is a prison of sorts confining us to hardships and struggles. In the middle of all of that is love. Love from God. Love from family. Love from friends and love from ourselves. It’s the love that gets us through the tough stuff and allows us to break out so to speak.

In Baltimore this week riots broke out as a result of a young man losing his life while in police custody. Unable to imagine the grief their community suffers I watched with a broken heart as anger, hate and rage tore through the city. Life for me has never included such tragedy; I wish no one had to go through situations such as that, however, anger, hate, rage exists but in the midst of it all there was some hope. As a group of onlookers joined hands and hearts and chose to stand with police offers forming a unity line I saw hope for restoration. As one mother in particular was seen removing her son from the violence it was apparent that her love for him was far greater than anger or hate. She stated in an interview that he was her only son and she was not going to let him die in a state of anger and hate. She chose love.

Elvis Summers a 37 year old man from California saw 60 year old Irene McGhee sleeping in the dirt. Knowing she was homeless he would often give her recyclables to trade for cash but for Summers that wasn’t enough. He decided to build McGhee a tiny house. With $500 worth of lumber and donations of roofing materials Summers spent several days creating a warm, safe place for McGhee to reside. The house, tiny in size is a huge gesture of love. The two have become great friends and McGhee says now she will try to find a job. Because Summers chose to love, McGhee’s life is forever changed.

All too often, whether we want to admit it or not we forget to choose love. Sometimes we allow our own selfishness to stand in the way of loving one another in spite of our differences. At the age of 16 a young girl courageously shared with her parents that she was gay. Filled with emotions her mother refused to accept it; she allowed anger and fear to rule over the love she had for her child and as a result nearly drove her daughter away. A heavy silence lived between them for nearly two years. It took a lot of patience, conversation, prayer and love to remind that mother that while she may not fully understand the lifestyle nothing was more important than loving her daughter. Today, that young woman and her mother are grateful for second chances, for love that has no conditions and for the ability to forgive and to grow in spite of differences. That mother chose love; I am that mother.

Life is full of tragedy and events that leave us hurt, confused and angry. It is necessary for us to remember that the negatives in life can leave us feeling as if we are in prison, bound up within the confines of fear, anger, hate and uncertainty. Choosing anger (or hate) is a lot of work. My grandmother used to say that it takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown. She’s right. Choosing to live in love requires dedication and commitment but it also provides us with positive energy and the ability I think to focus on what’s important. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” I encourage you to let go of the burdens you carry, the burdens that hold you back from being the person you were created to be. A life lived in love is a life well lived. It’s not easy to always love; nothing worth having is ever easy. As writer Jonathan Lockwood Huie once said “Choose the world you see and see the world you choose”; I encourage you to see and choose a world of love.

Peace,
Karla

I think we all need a touch point a place we can go to be inspired. Karla is my children’s teacher, a good friend, and a person with a heart of gold. I hope that her words will inspire you to do more. We are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with. It is important to listen with your heart and proceed with your eyes open. Enjoy!

Read more Karla’s Korner, also please visit Karla’s Lifetime Moms page and read her articles.

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