Freedom, a word that soars through our hearts more often than not. Summertime is here. The sun is warm on our face and we try to enjoy what we have dreamed about all winter long. We slow down, take a break, and smile more. The daily grind does not seem so difficult when the sun is shining. Our load seems to magically lighten. Yet in winter when it is dark, cold and quiet do we not allow the same to happen?  So spring and fall must be the culprits of all our stress? It is our time to renew and begin again; to accomplish, to move forward, to store up. Do we not often feel a skip in our step and a sense of purpose which propels us to achieve our goals?

Don’t get me wrong, that in itself is a good and necessary thing. Balance is a good thing. But is it the extra effort during that time that allows us-- that gives us permission, to relax in the down times? It is not always easy to do with our commitments and obligations. The Universe understands each season serves a purpose, so must we. We need to take a vacation, even if only in our mind. We need to take a deep breath and let go of all the negativity. Life will never be exactly the way we want it at any given moment. We cannot continually say, I will do it when… In the grand scheme of things, freeing yourself to let go for a moment, will not change your circumstances in that instant but, it will change your attitude to better cope with whatever comes your way. It will open the door to allow the positive in.  

I remember an email that circulated the internet years ago. A woman tells her husband goodnight and he responds, “You’re going to bed already? She then proceeds to head upstairs, accomplishing a million little tasks on her wa. By the time she crawls into bed two hours later, her husband joins her and says, ”Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Women especially find it difficult to stop “doing” completely.  Certainly we can all find a moment or two to stop and regroup. Soon enough the leaves will change color and we will begin again; renewed, refreshed and dedicated. We all give. Give to others, give to our work, give and give because it is who we are. Today, we give to ourselves. Let go. Lift your face to the sun and let it fill you with peace. You deserve it.

Agape ( /ˈæɡəpiː/[1] or /əˈɡɑːpeɪ/; In his book, The Pilgrimage, author Paulo Coelho defines it as "the love that consumes," i.e., the highest and purest form of love, one that surpasses all other types of affection. Frequently used in Christian theology the term agape is often represented in the form of divine love for God and his followers.  The word agape as an adverb translates as; Being in a state of astonishment, wonder, expectation, or eager attention; as with mouth hanging open or simply Open wide. (Wikipedia) Does not an all-consuming love often cause us to be in a state of astonishment with our mouths hanging open?

Love is a word that conveys many emotions. We have love for our family, love for our children, love for our friends, love for those that have gone from us and love for those that always remain. Perhaps, we may express our love differently but is not the end result ultimately the same? In the truest sense of the word, if we love--do we not love unconditionally? Is it even possible to love someone a “little bit”?  I think not.  Here ‘open wide’ takes on a new meaning. Allowing ourselves to love and be loved is life’s greatest gift.  It might be too frightening for some, it might seem unnecessary for others. The joy can be overwhelming, the pain excruciatingly intense. Sometimes love will come easily and other times it will be a struggle but when we need it the most, it will creep in and reminds us, that we are all better because of it.  

Today we focus our love on our fathers.  Warm wishes to all of the dads out there that raised children who know how to love! Whether they are still here with us or not we remember what they have taught us about life and unconditional love. They may not have always expressed their love in words but if we look back, it shows it in everything they did.    Thanks Daddy, I love you.

Listening to the radio on my to work this morning , I heard the DJ telling a story about a couple that was arrested for having sex on a picnic table at a local park. Big deal, I thought; happens all the time. Perhaps, some may recall the bright beam of the police officers flash light telling them to move on. Unfortunately, these folks chose broad daylight to relieve their tension, in a park with children playing near by-- really? It’s one of those moments where the eloquent word ‘eww’ comes to mind; truly disturbing.

Out of control desire is one of life’s most thrilling emotions. Once the proverbial ball begins to roll we often throw caution to the wind and let go of our inhibitions. ‘What if someone were to see’ can be frightfully arousing.  For others, knowing that someone is watching is even more exciting.  Allowing ourselves to get lost in passion is a gift we give to ourselves and our partner, if others happen to get a free preview by our’ lost in the moment carelessness’ or an intentionally planned interlude, so be it.  Howvever, next time the curtain goes up  (or they’re drawn open) it is perhaps best to know your audience ahead of time :-)

Reading is the perfect escape. When we read, we can be anywhere, at any time and with whomever we choose.  Romantic fiction outsells all other genres. We allow ourselves to be swept away by the belief that true love will overcome insurmountable odds.  We somehow believe that we could love a vampire, let him drain us of our life force, take away our sunshine and we would be thrilled with him for all eternity. Or that an arrogant, womanizing but --misunderstood Duke could abduct us, treat us like chattel and we would grow to love him in spite of his actions. We only need to tame him. Make him better; because that is what he really wants, right?

Yet when our friend, lover, partner, gives us what we need we often take it for granted. When he/she stays up with you because you can’t sleep or offers to help with a project, even though they have plenty of projects of their own; that’s romantic.

So why do we gobble up these stories as an escape from reality? Is it so difficult to believe that love is found in the simplest moments? Life is only as much of an adventure as we make it.  Why would we try to fool ourselves into believing that real love is not the greatest adventure of all?  Perhaps, there would be more HEA’s if we took the time to look at and appreciate our lovers for who they are. For most of us, we will never marry a Duke or have hot eternal sex with a vampire :(  We can however, still escape to a magical world of wonder that reminds us; love is not easy, conflict is around every corner and with a little effort, the characters can find the right words to work through it.  When you take away the castles, the demons and the purple prose I guess it is not quite as far from reality as we thought.