All you need is love

Acts of Love

It doesn't stop there. Love follows us throughout our life.

Right from the first few seconds, minutes, and hours of life we are loved via small acts. When a mother feeds her infant, despite her swollen and painful breasts, wakes in the small hours of the morning to her babies' cries, despite the ache of her tired body. When those assisting with the birth are awake late into the evening for extended labours, sometimes lasting days, awaiting the birth of the miracle that is you. When a father is so caught up in the miracle that he faints, or cries not noticing the nail and teeth marks on his arm from his partner's bite or grip – overwhelmed with the blessing that is you. This is love.

When parents wake to babies' cries in the middle of the night, despite a long week ahead at work. When a parent works many hours a week, travels hours to work, works in jobs they don't enjoy, even despise, for bosses that simply don't care, or for profit-at-all cost organisations, in order to feed and clothe and provide shelter for their family. This is love.

When we attend a friend's birthday, wedding or funeral, despite not feeling up to it. When we help others out, even when we need help ourselves, when we remember birthdays, make cups of tea, cook dinner, or bake cookies for friends, family, or customers... When we buy someone a coffee or dinner, or a present or we make someone a present or give them flowers. When we allow a stranger to go before us in a queue, give a stranger spare change, lend our phone to a stranger, lend something to a friend, walk someone's dog, collect their mail, give a friend a compliment… This is love.

Even on our deathbed, we often have friends and family, nurses, and doctors or someone by our side, nurturing us, fulfilling our dying wishes, attending to all our physical needs, holding our hand, and listening to our final words. This is love.

Love the Insignificant

The smallest, seemingly most insignificant acts are acts of love. Sometimes it is the seemingly smallest acts that are the most significant acts of love.

Think back on your life, how many times have you made judgments about people for acts or omissions that some may view as small and insignificant, and yet you let a friendship go or didn't return to the shop as a result.

Now think about the opposite, how many times have you made judgments about people. That there is something about that person, something so small and insignificant that you don't even know why it is that you immediately connected with them and a friendship developed in an instant.

What is the most significant seemingly insignificant act of love you benefitted from or witnessed this week? Pay it forward!

Love is in Each Moment