An Invitation

With Love, Mom

An Invitation | With Love

The word love encompasses a broad range of emotional and mental states, from the most inspiring virtue or good habit, to the deepest interpersonal affections. From the simplest pleasure to an innocent crush. The English language uses the same word to describe the love of a mother and the love of a spouse. The word ‘love’ is used to define the love of food, the love of country, and the love for Nature. Love is most commonly used when referring to a feeling of emotional attraction or strong attachment. Love describes, in a single word, an endless collection of profound emotions. I think we need more words to communicate the boundless array of meanings when it comes to describing our love.  

The love that a parent has for a child is also a unique type of love, as is a daughter’s love for her parents. Within these relationships we find a synchrony in the tempo of action and connection. Often through subtle eye contact or a healing touch, this exchange is evident when we witness a parent and child sharing this positive dance of receptiveness.

Having an appreciation for those quiet exchanges is essential. They are the elemental roots of love and how people, including children, feel loved. When we feel loved we may also feel trust, safety, and openness. This reciprocity helps create the mysterious ‘thing’ we call love, in addition to those other unexplainable ‘things’ called trust, belief, hope, devotion, and passion.

The day-to-day experiences of love cannot be supported if we are distracted or our attention is drawn in so many different directions. Finding ways to prioritize being present each day can be hard. We are all juggling a million ‘things.’ Yet, we don’t want to miss opportunities to be available for our kids, our family, or our loved ones. If we are not present we lose our ability to connect. So polarizing are those experiences when we are unavailable because of the business going on our heads and those moments when we mutually experience something tender, silly, or comforting with others.

Moments of deep connection that develop between a parent and a child are like preparing the ground for a healthy garden. Only it is not a flower garden we are growing or a tree we are planting. We may never know the boundaries of where our love flows. One of the most significant things we can give to our loved ones is our caring attuned attention. Not for just our children and loved ones, but also for other living beings. After all, we are all the offspring of creation and ‘love knows no limits.’