Once in Love with Amy - Ray Bolger
Celebration of Love
Valentine’s Day is tomorrow! While many bemoan it to be a Hallmark holiday and one of the biggest advertising days of the year, I still find it to be fun, joyful, and intimate. Almost all outcomes are about the attitude and imagination that you bring with you to an experience. This day, dedicated to love and intimate relationships, conjures up romantic dinners for two, red heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, long-stemmed red roses, jewelry, champagne, candles, and alluring lingerie along with cards expressing loving sentiments dedicated to your one and only. Let’s also not forget emoji hearts!
For me, the ‘essence of love’ encompasses many attributes in life, such as memories or history of a shared experience with a sibling, such as remembering a parent that has passed, along with celebrations, teasing and laughter that was expressed. Love for our children or pets is almost universally understood and shared through great photos on social media. The hologram of love forever leaves an imprint upon your soul, your body memory, kind of like leaving footprints in the sand.
Additionally, reciprocal love within a marriage that is gathering in years has an expression that is particularly unique…. funny sayings or phrases, special looks, a warm caress that is oh so tender to feel and offers warm comfort that embraces you amidst these challenging times.
This is a special kind of love, as it is a love measured by devotion, endurance, and caring…even though it has been tested during times of frustration, misunderstandings and anger. You consider yourself lucky that the relationship has the strength to grow and shift as you go through the myriad of life cycle changes.
Lastly, I thought it would be interesting to expand the meaning of ‘love’ from the romantic and time-tested devoted love, to encompass other ‘loves’ that we hold dear, such as love of:
nature and wild life,
family and friends,
community and country,
humankind.
In my exploration of ‘love’, I also include the divine, spiritual and sacred essence of love, which for me encompasses everything in ‘creation’.
To this end, I am going to highlight my Love of Nature by sharing the red glass abstract art pieces I created, entitled, ‘Taking Flight’ and ‘Migration’. I consider myself very lucky to be living in Northern Westchester where I'm surrounded by beautiful woods, lakes, streams, and hiking trails. There is inspiration everywhere, whether I’m looking outside my window or walking along a favorite path. All my senses take in the majesty of Mother Nature’s creations, including my favorite birds, which is a species that I love.
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