Letters to Myself: Entry Sixty-Nine
Prompt: Where in my life does this feel true right now, and where does it feel hard to believe?
“This is the miracle that happens every time to those who really love: the more they give, the more they possess.”
A reflection based on the idea of love and the idea that love transcends time and space; it is not this scarce experience that you can only experience in a certain time period; it is experienced all the time. The more you give love to the world, the more of it you will possess and the more it will come back to you from others.
This is a good one because it centers on the idea of faith in the investment; faith in what could be from the investment and courageous act that someone does when they consider something like this. Something that is beautiful on this planet to hold dearly is the shared love experience we are all in; this life can only be shared with love in order to survive another day. And that pairs brilliantly with a book I am currently reading that I will get into shortly. But this idea, this shared love of the world can only be in the idea of faith in love itself; that the more you give, the more love transcends time and space. When people say ‘I love you,’ on a whim, without actually knowing someone; without even speaking to this individual; not even companionship; truly a stranger - love can transcend the meaning of relationships itself. It provides us a chance to see how when you spread the idea of love; the investment of love, it can only give benefit to the world around you.
Now when it comes to my life and where this feels true and where it does not feel true, or maybe hard to believe in it, I want to start with the truths. First, the true part of this statement feels seen in most of my circles; where love is still being transcended and giving people my investment in love is still pretty strong. From what I have seen, the observations of these circles - I see and feel the love. The shared love feels true to me and that is where you have to continue to rely on those circles. Those circles give you hope; they give you strength; they recharge you when you inevitably fall back down. Give these circles the continued investment of your love; those are the things and people that really matter; and when you do this as well with these people, that love is then transcended to the daily people your own circles see; giving them a chance to strength that tree branch even further; going further than anywhere on this planet.
Where it can be hard to tell the truth in the loving moments of my life can be hard to tell. Sometimes the thing we are uncertain about is truly unseen to the human eye. Potentially, it’s a perspective we don’t understand because we are continuously giving; especially when you are receiving the love back. When you experience an untruthful moment of non-love, it can be demoralizing. Because you want people to experience the power of this love and maybe they don’t give it back; maybe they are torn up inside on the things they have seen; maybe love can’t be infiltrated into their soul? But I go against that notion; I do believe it can; forgiveness and kindness can always be spread, even in the pits of despair.
The book I have been currently reading, and pertains to this subject, is Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. This book is about a Jewish Holocaust survivor who talks about his experiences in concentration camps during the Nazi regime in World War II Germany. Frankl discusses how he was able to survive such a brutal reality that so many of those people suffered through. However, Frankl talks about how love, and even humor, got him through those times. How he was able to find meaning in life to keep trying each day; mainly stemming to the love of his life, his wife. He believed he would see her again; that he would be able to share that love again with the person he cared so deeply about. That is meaning right there; the concept of love truly is something that gives all of us hope. Love transcends.
Even in the pits of despair, this is why connection, love, kindness - these concepts are universal and beautiful. We can’t let that die off; and I don’t think it is humanly possible. We are built to survive; survival is based on features, skills, traits and character that gives us direction; we still get up the next day; we still get up and try because we know there is love to be had; there is a chance to encounter that shared experience; or in Frankl’s circumstances - surviving a holocaust. And the way I see the truth come through is through the good news of the world that we tend to not pay attention to; much like Frankl’s story. A story that happened overseas but still remains the most humanistic story we hold dearly The beautiful part about being human; the beautiful part about shared love, is how powerful it can be. How powerful it can be when a group of people share that love.
And just getting back from the great Minnesota Get-together; the state fair, seeing all of the families; seeing all of the couples and shared friend groups; the animals receiving love from the patrons; the new connections built in a matter of seconds; this is love. This is the idea of investing in the trouble of parking; the investment to encounter strange people in traffic; to invest into the long lines waiting for a doughnut; you do it for the love of the game. The love of the world and the love of the life you are living in that moment. When you are around all of those people who are there experiencing the same thing you are; when you finally give in and experience the love again, you see the beauty in keeping onward. Instead of ‘f**king around and finding out,’ as they say in Texas, instead invest and give in. Show those families and other people you see at those places; or those places one goes too, find the people who might be struggling; challenge yourself to give in and invest. Because truly, when one loves and bridges that connection to someone who’s heart might be decaying by the second, it gives them the healing they needed; the seed that gives someone a chance to start new again.
Rilke is right; the more you pour in, the more you possess. And the more you do so, the more you see it as well; you will continue to see the truth come through for you. Not everyone is an enemy; not everyone is out to get you. And remember that love continues to prevail. Because there are people pouring into it daily. The real question is, how much are you willing to put into today? Are you willing to sacrifice a little bit of yourself to go that extra minute to receive the love of the world and nature back to you? Challenge yourself, you might just breakthrough to a side you’ve never seen before.
Main Thought: Don’t treat love as this scarce piece or item. Love transcends all meaning and life around us. It is the true reason to stay alive and continue to find hope in the world’s darkness. The shared love experience is all around, we have to continue to tap in when we are able to.
This post is part of my "Letters to Myself" series — a weekly free-write blog where I explore personal growth, curiosity, and healing through simple prompts. Sometimes reflective, sometimes fun, but always real. Thank you for being here.
References:
Photo by Kyle Gare
Rilke, Rainer Maria. Letters 1892–1910. (translated edition)
Frankl, Viktor E. Man's Search for Meaning. Beacon Press, 1959.
