I think, for everyone, there arrives a point in time when it becomes apparent that love is everything. Truly everything. Probably, the realization for most, is elusive for the better part of life. The reason I believe that to be true is by general observation of the state of the world. It’s not that of love. There’s a lot of it out there; there’s a lot of good being done. But, if tallied by a simple count of integers, it wouldn’t win.

Now hold on….that’s not to say I don’t believe love is winning, I do. I believe that one “unit” of love exponentially outweighs one “unit” of not-love. Exponentially. It’s the only way to explain how the single digit percentage of love on this planet holds up the double (probably near triple) digit percentage of the converse, and we keep turning.

The fact is that we all love. Family, significant others, children, friends, pets. We love. We are relational beings. And so, we love. We give to love, we take from love, we find strength from love, we feel weakness from love, we empower with love and we manipulate with love.

But, we love.

In conversation this past week, I shared a personal story from something I experienced and the feelings I’d had from it. The response that was given to me was, “not everyone thinks like you do, though”. It made me wonder how someone could not in such a circumstance. A lot to do with that not only was ‘thinking’ a part of it, but ‘feeling’ was as equally a role. And, if there’s anything we are as humans, it’s instinctively feeling beings. If that moment wasn’t a bit of confirmation that I was on the right “love is everything” track, I don’t know what would be.

I’ve known for a little while now, love’s place in my life. Relative to the number of years I’ve lived, I would measure my realization to still just be, “a little while now”. The realization, I’d say, a function of already being on the path combined with personal life experience that came to be. But, it certainly wasn’t always that way. Far from it. The feelings that my life experience conjured up in me couldn’t have been more obvious – love really is everything.

It changes how you perceive life. It evolves the reason to be the person that you are. It’s easy to not understand any of this when mortality isn’t anywhere in sight. Which, is why I reason the realization eludes most for the better part of life. Perhaps not until breaths become nearly countable. Although, it’s never too late, maybe it’s too late by then? But, the realization is certainly not confined to the stark truth of expiration.

I don’t want it to be too late for me. And, it’s not. I’m glad that I realize love is everything. Truly everything. I know that nothing can take its place. I know that nothing is more important. I know there is no fear stronger than it. I know that there is no accomplishment greater than it. And, I know that nothing gives more meaning than it. It’s freedom, whenever it is you decide to choose it.

Maybe it’s true? Maybe not everyone thinks this way? The Love I want to give and the Love I want to receive will be the only accomplishment I will live for. It’s the only accomplishment I am alive for. And, it will be the only one I take with me beyond here. How can presence here be anything but? Life will still be life. I will still participate and partake in all that it means to have a good life. But, to really live is to know of the freedom that Love provides. It’s not a blanket statement; Love is freedom from everything. Self-Love, the Love of someone unconditionally by your side, faith in Love; that is what grants your soul its path to be free.

Be Love.