Practical Love

When does 1 + 1 = 1? When you are talking about love. Love is oneness. Love is a very esoteric concept, which is why I am writing this. But love is for everyone and should be a very exoteric concept. You don't have to be educated or rich to love. You are born in oneness. You are the product of 1 and 1 coming together. From your very conception, you are not alone. You, for nine months are actually physically inside your mother. The birthing process is a separation that makes us long for that closeness again. How do you explain what love is? Love has so many facets and nuances that it is hard to explain in words. "Love is all you need. Love is a many splendored thing. All is fair in love. Love conquers all. (Love) is an ever-fixed mark, that looks on tempests and is never shaken." Beautiful bumper stickers, for sure, but they don't explain anything. My definition is oneness. Think of the number 111 (one eleven). It is three numbers, equal in value. When you put them...

This is the title of one of my favorite books by Dr. Wayne Dyer and it was the theme of the homily at Easter mass. I always thought that this was a cool, new age, idea. But it turns out that Jesus taught that 2000 years ago. Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" John 11:40 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." ― John 20:29 “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” ― Matthew 21:21 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. ― Mark 11:24 This is basically the idea of the book, "The Secret" which is a recent,...

Armed with all my love ideas and research and trying to be practical, I set out to smile to the masses. I went to an indoor waterpark with my two daughters. Happiness was already bubbling inside. As I walk down the hall, I see my first victim. I am going to smile. Wait...teeth or no teeth? What am I saying with this smile? Hi? There is spinach in your teeth? I think you're cute? Well, the smile I managed was, well, saying, "I have gas." Smiling is harder than you think. A smile reveals emotion, intention, personality. You have to be vulnerable to smile. We don't smile, in general. We do smile when we are embarrassed or when something is funny. Sometimes we smile to be ironic. I have the sarcastic smile given to me nearly daily. But smiling to show love is a delicate issue. People can smell bullshit. They know if you are being disingenuous. People are also skeptical of motivations. "What are you selling?" So what do you do? You have to fake it until yo...