Hold On To Love

“Hold On To Love”

“Kindness is the light that dissolves all walls between should, families, and nations.”                                      Paramahansa Yogananda

I am working on my next women’s retreat, which is happening this month, with the title “Self-Care For Turbulent Times” – and I have learned that anytime I pick a title for a talk or a workshop the title starts working me. I have to “feel” into the topic to see what is bubbling up for me to communicate to the women who will show up at my retreat. The one thing I am clear on is that it truly feels like turbulent times. I am noticing when I watch the news, I feel more and more squeezed, more anxious, and less hopeful. It’s amazing to me that years ago I wrote a song called “Hold On To Love” where the lyrics said: “Everyday I have a choice in how I want to live and I refuse to let all the bad news affect me.” This is still true for me today. But the thing I knew, even way back in 1999 when I wrote that song, is that it’s my choice. And everyday, every moment, I get to choose if I want to focus on what is not working in the world or choose to see the good.

I am going to keep choosing the good.

In every talk I give I am noticing that I keep gravitating to stories and songs about kindness: kindness towards myself and kindness to others. Maybe that’s how we make it through these wacky times: being kind to each other, reaching out our hands, and creating community. 

I was just on a Southwest Airlines flight and at one point the flight attendant came on the speaker and told us to pull down our window shades and turn on our call light buttons above our heads. Was this some kind of weird safety drill?  Was there a problem with the plane? But then she informed us there was passenger on board who was turning 97 that day and that she wanted all of us to sing Happy Birthday to him. At the end of the song the birthday boy had to blow out all the candles being represented by the lights in the plane. Singing out of time and way out of tune, the whole plane starting singing a loud and rousing Happy Birthday to this person. Right then we were all connected, sharing a sweet moment and watching the magical lights go off as he blew out his “candles”. A big rousing ovation followed and as we left the plane they had him stand at the front wearing a “crown” made of pretzel bags and drink stirrers, as he receive well wishes from all of us on board. 

Connection and kindness – my heart was so filled when I left that flight that whatever crazy things might be happening in the world – at that moment my heart was open and all was well in my world.