By Simone Talma Flowers

“I forgot the question but the answer is love. The answer is always love.”

-Trudi Jane 

Life is precious. Every life is precious. Our humanity is precious. How do we remember this in a time of war and division, when all we can see are atrocities happening in front of us –  violence directed at people we care about? How do we still have hope? How do we build back bonds of connection and love? 

 Witnessing the vicious cycle of finger pointing and condemnation, how can we, individuals, help put a stop to the hate? Can we move forward living our lives while this destructive chaos continues around us? Yes. We can move forward within our own circle – we can offer acts of peace, contribute our compassion, our empathy, and move forward with an embracing and loving heart. 

This is hard to do when you are in pain, wounded by the cruelty of how some people treat each other. But there is a path forward – it is the loving way. It is longer – but love opens a path forward we may not see clearly in the fog of war. 

In this world we all know we have the same fate: a beginning and an end. We were birthed into this world, we were given life, we breathe in the breath of life. This breath keeps us alive. Then in the end, we die: the breath of life is extinguished. Yet, in the space between birth and death is life. And life is the only world we are certain of. We all have this in common – this life of uncertain magnitude, where the end is clear but the path is a mystery for us to unfold. This path is precious and is all we have. If we build and nourish it with love, we will have used the best and most precious parts of ourselves. This blank space between birth and death can be most precious when we love and support others. All we know is this life and that our lives intersect with others. We must use our best attributes to build our life-our only treasure. These loving building blocks are most precious where they intersect with other lives. 

How do we still live our lives in the midst of war, heartache, and strife around us? How do we still find  that love to share? We each have our place of inspiration and restoration. I recently returned to my homeland Trinidad and spent a few days at the beach. There, all we did was listen to the sounds of the waves and stare out into the ocean and enjoy the sunsets. Just sitting there – totally enamored with God’s creation. God’s abundant gifts to us! The restorative attributes of nature – the soul food of reconnecting to God – and God’s beauty all around us healed me. 

So many times, I find myself going back to that space that brings me peace.  I can’t always go there when I need it, but  I remember the sounds of the waves, the rhythmic movements of the ocean. The memory calms me down. I can take deep breaths, and everything slows down around me. I go into that space of appreciation of the gifts God has bestowed on all of us. As I’m there for a moment, I open my eyes and smile. I’m given a burst of energy, a calmer mind to focus on God’s love and I can start afresh from there.  

What spaces or experiences do you have that you can return to? What takes you to a place of bliss and of total joy, and reconnects you to your spirit of love? I recommend visiting often – especially when you are feeling down and out, or just tired, and need restoration. The world needs you and your beautiful light. Our community needs you restored. Rest, Rejuvenate and come back to us with your love and light. Remember, the question doesn’t matter, but the answer is always love.