I Believe In Love: A Moment With Bill Reflection

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

Leo Buscaglia

If you are looking for it you will not be disappointed. It is all around us. Turn on the boob tube. Turn on the radio. Hell, just go for a drive and your senses will be attacked by evidence that perhaps mankind has not evolved nearly as much as we would wish.

Drive-by shootings, muggings, rapes, abuse, neglect, random acts of violence, all there to attack our serenity and lead us to believe that kindness and virtue are nothing more than words. When will it end? Never is the answer we cannot deny. As long as man has walked upright on this planet there has been proof of our dark side, and there is no chance of a sudden turnaround.

So we go about our days with apprehension. We refuse to make eye contact with strangers lest our gesture be considered threatening in nature. We turn our heads from the ugliness, hoping that to see no evil will eliminate that evil, but of course it is sheer foolishness to think so. We hide behind our gated communities and try to convince ourselves that safety is assured by those bars, knowing full well that safety is, at best, an illusion. We darken our hearts and protect our psyches, and in the process we lose a little bit more of our humanity. We hold our children tighter and yet know there is no way to truly protect them from the harsh reality waiting just outside our front door.

Yes, it is so easy to see the dark side of human nature.

And yet…..despite it all….despite the fear and insecurities and prayers at night requesting just one more day of safety….despite overwhelming proof that the world is spinning out of control….

I believe in love!

“Love is always bestowed as a gift - freely, willingly and without expectation. We don't love to be loved; we love to love.”

Leo Buscaglia

The young mother holding her newborn, gently rocking it and whispering words of comfort, seeing the hopes and dreams of a new generation in its eyes, and promising the gods and angels that this child will be raised to understand the importance of love.

The father, working day in, day out, at a job he despises; ignoring the physical pain and weariness, up every morn, dead tired every evening, all for the family he has vowed to provide for, all in the name of love.

The nighttime ER nurse, providing comfort to those so desperately in need, smiling upon them and telling them that all will be alright, touching them, assuring them, bridging generational and racial gaps, making that human connection we all need, that connection based on love.

The social worker who has dedicated her life to helping foster children; no biological bonding is needed, no higher pay is demanded; the rewards are in the faces of her children, in the tears of happiness and the look of safety she sees in their eyes, a look born from love.

The dedicated teacher turning year after year into magical learning moments, many times funding her efforts from meager savings; many times ignoring her own needs for the sake of her wards; enduring the long hours and under-appreciation because she knows…she knows….that her efforts will transform children into competent adults, all because she believed in love.

“Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time... It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other.”

Leo Buscaglia

The best friends hugging at the airport; transmitting love without saying a word; remembering wonderful times and so very thankful for their bond, a bond cemented by love. Do you see them?

The octogenarians walking hand in hand down the street, married now for sixty years and still spellbound by their love, best friends for life and yes, in death. Do you see them?

The firefighters rushing headlong into danger, sworn to serve and protect, the ultimate risk of the ultimate sacrifice, believing with every fiber of their beings that man can make a difference, a belief born from love. Do you see them?

The Peace Corps volunteer, the Habitat For Humanity volunteer, the volunteers at the soup kitchens and homeless shelters and thousands of missions around the world, leaving the comfort of their own homes to spread a timeless gospel to those in need, the gospel of love. Do you see them?

The animal rescue workers who darken their souls by witnessing neglect and abuse but still show up, day in, day out, to do the work most people would never consider, work that involves the compassion and love for an animal. Do you see them?

“What love we've given, we'll have forever. What love we fail to give, will be lost for all eternity.”

Leo Buscaglia

A vast legion is indeed growing, spreading out from the Great Plains to the savannahs of Africa, from the towers of London to the tundra of Alaska, near and far, urban and rural, educated and hayseed, they cast tall shadows over the land as they march to a calling that cannot be heard, a longing that cannot be touched, a sweet scent that cannot be smelled….they march to the calling of love.

They seek not glory. They seek not recognition. They seek not pay or gifts or words of praise. All they seek is the blessed satisfaction of spreading that which cannot be held, that which cannot be quantified, and yet that which is crucial to our very survival as a species…..

Love, baby, love!

For love gives….and love receives. That is the timeless beauty of it, a gift that continues to spread its bounty long after that actual act of giving. There is no time limit on love. There is no expiration date on love. There is no “use before December 20^th” warning nor is there any concern for it turning stale or rancid. There is no need for a list of ingredients on a gift of love, and there is no printed label discussing possible side effects, for everyone who has ever experienced love knows that the side effects are the “warms and fuzzies” that spread outward from your heart to the nether regions of your body and soul.

“Love is always open arms. If you close your arms about love you will find that you are left holding only yourself.”

Leo Buscaglia

And here I will share a secret with you all. This will not appear in the brochures touting the wonders of love. You will not find this in the fine print so don’t bother looking. Are you ready to learn this secret? Come a little closer while I whisper in your ear….shhhh….

Love begets love!

An act of love will produce a miraculous combustible moment and more love will be created. If I’m lying then I’m dying my friends. Love someone else and they, in turn, will love others. Show kindness to someone else and they, in turn, will show kindness to others. Show compassion and empathy and I promise you it will be replicated long after your acts of love are completed.

Love is the perfect renewable energy source. Toss aside the foolish talks about wind turbines, combustible engines, ethanol, solar power and nuclear power….love, baby, love! Put a gallon of love in your personal gas tank and check out your miles per gallon. You just might be surprised!

Yes, I see the darkness. I am only human after all. I am not immune to the slings and arrows of humanity at its worst. I have been touched by it as all of you have been….but….I have a choice. I can choose the darkness or I can choose love.

Today I believe in love. How about you?

2013 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”