August 2020 Love Letters: Day 2
Hello, my darling!
I hope this missive finds you well. Currently, I am cross-legged on my bed with the most adorable dog in the world curled up and cuddling next to me. In this space, I have created my sanctuary; this is where I find rest and spend time in solitude with God. Take a deep breath, my love, then another. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Feel the rise and fall of your chest, closing your eyes as you push out all the stress and anxiety you have been holding onto deep within yourself. I am breathing with you, in sync with you.
Have I ever hugged you before? One of the magic secrets of my hug is that I breathe with you; most of the time you align your lungs with mine and we take deep, relieving breaths together. Hugs – oh how I miss wrapping my arms around you. You likely already know I call myself the “Hug Evangelist” and that I’ve gone so far as to develop my own hug theory: when you hug someone, you are literally opening yourself up to them and putting your heart against theirs. This is something you should NEVER do halfway. I always try to hug you like you are my long-lost best friend. (PSST! You are.) There is legitimate science behind the power of the hug; holding one for longer than 20 seconds has shown to release all the lovey-dovey chemicals in your brain. Our systems get a wave of oxytocin and we bond ourselves together. Stress is relieved and you feel lighter, happier, calmer.
A dream of mine is to one day venture out with a “FREE HUGS” shirt or sign to a crowded space and give hugs to anyone who consents. Consent is very important. Often we are hugging for longer than you expected, and I like to lay ground rules: no halfway hugs, no roaming hands, no pats on the back, no talking, stay focused here with me. No, no, this is a mama hug; you are safe in my embrace, and I need to feel safe in yours, as well. I share my hug theory and try to prepare you as best as possible. This will be the best hug of your life, if you allow it. Hugging a person you are unfamiliar with for what feels like a very long time makes people uncomfortable. If you know me, you know that I believe the best change happens right outside your comfort zone.
Let’s talk about our comfort zones, shall we? The chaos and turmoil in the world around us has certainly pushed us to a new level of uncomfortability, hasn’t it? I know, my darling; I know. Life feels very hard right now for most of us – big change has a tendency to rock everything we thought we knew, especially if it is outside of our control. We tend to act out in certain ways, and diverge from our “normal” selves when we are afraid or feeling helpless. What I want you to remember today, and hold in your awareness in this (and every) moment, is that YOU DO HAVE POWER. The Holy Spirit resides within us. You are in charge of your SELF, your thoughts, your words, responses, and actions, as is always the case. That is where your power lies. That is how you change the world. Oh, yes, my beloved: you ARE a world-changer. Your very own tongue holds the power of life and death. Creation and destruction are both within our reach. Which one are you reaching for? Which one are you holding onto?
Us merfolx are big fans of swimming deeply; there is so much to explore in the depths. Granted, that’s also where we must confront our shadows. Trust me, my beloved, we all have a shadow, whether we acknowledge it or not. Light and dark reside equally in each of us, as whole and holy creatures. There is a reason the Bible tells us to focus on the log in our own eye before pointing out the splinter residing in your neighbor’s eye: we all have our own cross to bear. Serenity is found when you surrender to the cross. Okay, okay…don’t go. I know, you may not be interested in a sermon, or you don’t believe in the religion I claim as my own, or you don’t believe I am righteous enough to preach to you, etc., etc…
I don’t particularly care that your faith may be different than mine. You can claim whatever label you like and I will love you just the same. The same miraculous grace and mercy that has been shown to me, I pour out on you. You are loved and accepted, just as you are. You are welcome here, just as you are. You can have a mama hug, just as you are.
Words have been a lifelong love of mine. Even as a child, I loved to read so much that I would sneak a flashlight under the covers and stay up until the wee hours of the morning. My favorite book back then was “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle. Through that novel, I discovered Meg, a heroine in a science-fiction book who did not fit in at school or have many friends. She was utterly lonely and outcast, yet she still managed to save the world. “What did she use to save the world?”, you might ask. LOVE. Love was her weapon, and her magical power. Love defeated the darkness, as it always has and always will.
I love you. I LOVE you. I love YOU. I LOVE YOU! I am screaming it from the rooftops so hopefully you will get the message. If you can’t hear it, maybe you can remember, once again, what my hug feels like. My heart, pressed against yours, beats it into your chest. “I love you, thump, thump.” My lungs breathe it in and out, whispering on the wind. “I love you, psst psst psst.” My arms squeeze it gently and firmly into you. “I LOVE YOU.” *flex* I love you, my darling, NO. MATTER. WHAT. Love is an unstoppable force, and I give you my love as a gift to keep forever. No refunds, no take backs, though I will humbly accept your love for me, as well.
I am honored to call you my friend. I am honored to send you this message as a divine vessel from our heavenly Creator. You are just as divine, magical, and holy as I am. I am praying for you, my love. I am praying for the peace of God to flood your being and wash all of your fears and anxiety away. I must leave you, for now. Tomorrow, you will get love letter number three. Please remember that you are absolutely adored by me, and don’t lose hope. Use your power as a force for good today, and wield the weapon of love. It is in you as greatly as it is in me.
Au revoir, mon ami!
L. Joy
