If kindness beholds itself to random acts completed in its honor then love is the scraping and molding of deliberation – no randomness here.
Planning.
Struggling.
Acting.
Today, I witnessed a scene that I have seen numerous time as it occurs on my street – a gentleman walking to a special transport for the county to help a loved one walk down the steps of the bus.
For him, this is probably a daily occurrence but he ..is …there – every day – the same time.
Who is the woman walking down – clearly older but with the smile of a 10 year old – innocent, kind, warm and slightly greying hair in a bob and held back by two barrettes? Is she his daughter? A relative? A friend?
Love is deliberate.
Being there.
Holding on to the best of another person despite what your hopes might have been.
Doing the hard work.
Being ok with how things are and not how things “should” be.
This takes thought, fortitude and a commitment to another person based on where they are and not where you need them to be to maintain certain optics for your own sake.
Love is cruel and ugly and requires things of us we may never have imagined and damn if that isn’t beautiful.
Kindness is easy.
Maybe it costs $2.35 on the Turnpike to pay for the car behind me or someone’s coffee at Starbucks. That’s nothing.
But love is grueling …and so necessary.
Because there is no living without those moments. The ones that have you waiting for the silence to befall so you can talk yourself into another day with the hopes it gets easier.
And it will.
Love is not Hugh Grant in “Love Actually”.
Actually, that was romance and some pretty good lighting.
Love is snot and sweat and changing diapers – and not always on a baby – and being there to help her down the stairs of the bus though your dream at one time was to play with the grandkids she gave you.
That’s love, but you better be ready.
Until next time,
Marc
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