Love is a topic that has probably put more pens to the page than any other. There are some pretty famous quotes about love, as well as a few Bible verses that even a non-believer could quote. Some great songs have been written about love, too, and even more terrible ones have been overplayed!
If I've learned anything so far about love, it's that it is a four-letter verb. It's easy to say, but is it easy to mean? How else could one really describe love, other than to say it is an action? Actions speak louder than words, don't they?
Love is often perceived as accidental, like, 'she stepped in a pile of love and got it all over herself and eventually it will come off and she won't be in it anymore'. Whoops, there it was, but now it is not.
If you love something, you're supposed to set it free and, if it's meant to be yours, it will come back to you, right? Shouldn't that be, 'if you know what's best for yourself, you won't try to control the ones you love'?
Just like anything else worth discussing, love is a function of consciousness.
Let's take, for example, procreation. Love, in this context, is often reduced to a mere feeling. It is a very powerful feeling, however, because that which sets the stage for the production and nurturing of babies is oxytocin, the love hormone. It's very real and it's wonderful, indeed, and it has its place. But let's face it - in the grand scheme, 'tis but a fleeting sense.
As we mature, we learn that love is not just a feeling, but a legacy of choices. With each thought, word and deed, we are given a choice to do so in a loving way or in a selfish way.
Whether one wants to live selfishly or not, I believe all anybody ever really needs or wants is love.
If everyone on the planet who says they believe in love, actually acted in love with every thought, word and deed, the world would become radically empowered in a very short time period. If we truly applied our love, we would have to make more compassionate choices for the greater good.
I'm not only calling out the hypocrites here, I'm actually quite dedicated to increasing the amount of love in this world, in my own way.
I believe that we should all, at the very least, aspire to make every effort to devote our lives to loving service. We can each use what we have to improve whatever situations we can. If this is a foreign concept to some of my dear readers, please consider that a dog's wagging tail and a cat's purr both calibrate at the level of love - which is no surprise to anyone who has heard stories of the healing benefits of pets. So, if dumb and savage pets can make the world a better place by demonstrating unconditional love, then what is your excuse?
By putting love into everything we do, we have the power to illuminate not only our own paths, but the paths of those with whom we are here to do great things!
Speaking of great things, my husband Kelt and I have been keeping busy teaching people how to make raw chocolate and Superfood treats. We are hoping to do a bunch of food education in the New Year as well.
The most important thing I hope to clearly impart to our workshop participants is that love is the first ingredient in everything we make. I even list it as the first ingredient in my prepared chocolates!
Everybody knows that you could have two different people make the exact same recipe using the exact same ingredients and the one that will taste better is the one made by the person who put love into it. That's why my 85-year-old Grandma Violet's lemon meringue pie is the best ever!
I love food, food loves me. I just wanted to express that sentiment... and to say Merry Christmas! May the food of love rule your homes and lives throughout the holidays!
Watch for another of my musings in the December 28 paper.
- With love, Marna.
