LOVE

I was watching the birds this morning feeding from the bird feeder I hung in my garden, in front of the kitchen window. I especially love the red cardinals, who mate for life. The male watches over the female as she feeds,from his hideaway in the ficus hedge. He is patient and willingly lets her feed for a long time before he claims his own. I love that! How wonderful, I thought, to experience this kind of unselfishness and generous patient love. I desire to have that in my own life also and will accept no substitute! (And so shouldn't you).

I am sharing this story with you, because there are also less unselfish and actually very greedy birds that I feed. Such as the morning doves, who also mate for live. They fight over their territory and only allow certain birds to share in their stash. Sometimes they get so rowdy, they smash into things by accident (no casualties as of yet)

The difference is that we are human, and can change our behavior through our decisions. It is not ever too late to experience unselfish and unconditional love. It starts with us. We can rise above our base instincts and transcend into freedom.

Valentine's day is the day set aside for love, "a perfect day to go within and glance back with affection and understanding at your real life journey so far...... we'll need courage to retrace our steps. But 'courage is the price that Life extracts for granting peace', the pilot Amelia Earhart reminds us... Today is the day for being. Be with those you love, be kind to yourself. Be quiet and call forth the dream you buried long ago. The ember is still glowing in your soul. See it in your mind, hold it tenderly in your heart" advises Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of Simple Abundance, A Daybook of Comfort and Joy. www.simpleabundance.com

Today is the day to just be, be in the moment the only one we have, the perfection of now. Be with the ones you love and be grateful. www.cheriebender.com