Love Letters

So, I've been reading this book about love letters. Well, really it's not "about" love letters...it IS love letters. (Other People's Love Letters - 150 Letters You Were Never Meant To See Edited by Bill Shapiro) Love letters to women from men, to men from women...written by email, postcard, handwritten in cursive, typed on old typewriters, written in chicken scratch and big bubbly girlie handwriting. Most were written in the past 10 years, but there were some in the book that were written in the 1930's even a few as far back as 1911! The funny thing is how different, yet similar the current letters are to the letters written decades ago. The words used are different but the feelings are the same.

Love, I believe, is absolutely universal. You see it everywhere and almost everyone has felt it. It can cause the highest most jubilant of feelings or the lowest most intense feeling of pain. It has brought about the biggest celebrations and caused the greatest of wars. Love, you see, is tumultuous in nature...but who wants to live without experiencing it? Romance movies, books, art, music...it is literally everywhere you look. Not only is love in the things we obviously see, but it's there even when we may not readily realize it. Even in horror films there is usually a back story with romantic tones to it. It appeals universally to everyone. I truly believe that if love didn't exist, then neither would the rest of it. Art, music, books, movies, TV...any of it. Love is inspiring.

Look outside right now. Go...I'll wait. Did you see it? Did you see that fantastic, gorgeous blue sky? That color that you can't quite name? Did you see those trees? With the white blooms that seem to explode with snowflakes in the middle of warm weather? Did you see the bumble bees getting pollen to and from each flower to make the Spring more beautiful for us every year? Did you see the green? So lush and rich? Did you see it? That is inspiration for love.

Look closer. Did you see that little girl running barefoot through her front yard? Did you see her fall down? Did you see her mommy come out and pick her up and kiss her tears away? That's love. Did you see the old man walking to the mailbox this afternoon? Did you see his neighbor run out to beat him there and deliver his mail to him so he wouldn't have to walk the whole way? Did you see the neighbor visit with him for 5 minutes? Did you see the old man's smile as he walked back in the house and that his step was just a little lighter? That's love. Did you see the teenage boy with the long hair and torn jeans getting off the bus with the frown on his face? Did you see the kids laughing at him? Did you see his slumped shoulders and weight of the world on his back? Did you see God bend down and take him in His arms? Did you see that? No? Look closer.

That is Love.

Write a love letter. You never know who might need one.