l is for...
Life Lessons
I seem to be receiving a lot of these lately, and that is simultaneously burdensome and awesome. I believe very strongly in the benefit of frequent and pervasive change, and life lessons are definitely catalysts of change. So, why am I passionate about life lessons? They are good for the soul. They are good for the ego. They create opportunities for us to learn something new or be reminded of something old that we still have not mastered. Mastery, after all, is closer to "what it's all about" than perfection. That, too, is a life lesson I would like to embrace more sincerely. So, keep 'em coming!
Love
Ah, yes! Love! How could this NOT be on a list of things about which I feel passionately? After all:
"Love is the one means that ensureth true felicity both in this world and the next. Love is the light that guideth in darkness, the living link that uniteth God with man, that assureth the progress of every illumined soul. Love is the most great law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique power that bindeth together the divers elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres in the celestial realms. Love revealeth with unfailing and limitless power the mysteries latent in the universe. Love is the spirit of life unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization in this mortal world, and the shedder of imperishable glory upon every high-aiming race and nation." ('Abdu'l-Bahá)
I am not convinced we really understand love in its myriad expressions and potencies. As a whole, I might observe that humanity is drawing ever-so-slightly nearer to understanding love's emotional aspects and powers of attraction, but I think this hardly covers the tip of the iceberg and tends to be romanticized in a way that is more heavily based on human interpretation than divine purpose. Love's attractive quality has more to do with why molecules bind together than why I think my husband is hot. (Which he is, by the way. But that's another topic.) In all the reading I have done and continue to do on this subject, with all the conversations and questions I initiate with willing participants, with all the observation of and reflection on everyday life situations, I hope to become more intimately aware of love's subtleties and immense powers as they are expressed in our world. And with that awareness, I hope to be able to invite more people to consider love from a new perspective.
Lavender
Not just a pretty-smelling herb from your mother's garden, lavender is amazing for its soothing properties and wonderful aroma. I use it to scent our laundry, to bake cookies, to flavor tea, and to soothe muscles after a long day on my feet. My lower back is especially grateful for lavender!
Lappy
Oh, yes. My Lappy is an indispensable part of my everyday existence! I don't know what I would do without it. Actually, I do know what I would do without it. I would buy a MacBook. Sssssshh! Don't tell.
Laughter
This one is a no-brainer. I love laughter. God loves laughter. One of the most precious experiences I have had was living three blocks away from an elementary school and being able to hear the animated, exhilarating peals of laughter echo between the buildings on my street as children would walk to and from school each day. Talk about LOL! Another one of my joys in life is going to a funny movie by myself and sharing in the laughter of the other moviegoers in the theater. ROFL! From a baby's giggle, to the uncontrollably raucous, heaving of laughter of teenagers, to the knowing, sly smirks of two lovers as they share a playful glance across a room full of people, laughter is one of our universal languages. And it's good for your health! Pass it on.
La Luna
La bella luna! I am utterly fascinated by the moon and her mysterious ways. It interests me that in many cultures we characterize the moon as feminine, even as other cultures characterize it as masculine. That we have WALKED on the moon? Blows me away. And that is has such power over natural forces in the environment, like the tides, is amazing. Not to mention that my cycle is COMPLETELY aligned with the phases of the moon. Not surprising since the origins of the word moon relate to mensis (month) - time and measurement- and the origins of the word luna relate to the Greek goddess Selene. What about lunacy? Mooning someone? Being moonstruck? Shooting the moon? Once in a blue moon? I could go on and on. Perhaps later, though, during the next waxing gibbous moon.
Locomotion
I will take a ride on a train any day over driving a car. Unless it's THIS car and I'm on THIS road. But that's another list for another day. (Ready, George??) 'Nuff said.
