Love Is In All Things

August 22, 2024 (updated from January 3, 2023)

If you, or someone you know, can be labeled “mystic” or “new age” or “hippie” then you’ve likely heard them say something along the lines of “receive with love.”

What does that mean, exactly? It means that we choose to see the positives in every situation. It means that we choose to see the light that a person offers, not the dark. It means that we choose to re-charge the negative vibe that we get from another person and deflect a positive vibe in return.

Receiving something with love doesn’t have to mean that you think someone slinging mud at you means they love you (don’t get me started on the whole playground bully scenario, please).

Take for example, someone said that they’re going to cause you physical harm because you ended your relationship with their sibling. Even though you may have done that for the right reasons, and their threatening you is not kind, choose to look at it as though they are trying to avenge/protect someone that they love. It is coming from a place of love, you just need to choose that vantage point.

Same scenario, except that their motivation is their ego. That, too, is coming from a place of (self) love; they are trying to avenge/protect themselves from judgement. Protecting themselves from judgement may be a default setting for them, it may be a perceived survival tactic. Is a threat a good way to go about it? No, but it might be all they know.  

You can always, always, always love a person without loving their actions.

You can always, always, always love a person without loving their choices.

You can always, always, always love a person without being close to them.

You can always, always, always love a person without being a dupe for them. 

You are not weak for loving someone who doesn’t appear to love you.

You don’t have to feel foolish for loving someone that doesn’t appear to love you.

You are putting love out there in the world, and whether you realize it or not, that love will come back to you. If not from the place that you were hoping for, from another that will be far better.

There are several reasons that one might choose not to display love. Chances are great that they have been hurt in some way or another, because who of us hasn’t been? You can pick a reason as easily as picking a leaf from a tree. Raise your hand if you’ve ever been comfortable walking up to stranger and saying those three magic words.

If your hand is in the air, I applaud you, keep living your life without fear! For those of us who didn’t raise our hands, why haven’t you ever done it? Because it doesn’t feel comfortable, right?

Scenario A:

I was standing in line at the grocery store, quite impatiently I might add, and there was an older woman behind me whom only had a few things. I let her go ahead of me, which softened me somewhat because I did something nice for someone. She thanked me then took her up-ranked place in line.

As she was paying for her groceries, she handed me something and said thank you (she may have even tossed a “God bless you” on top like a cherry, I can’t quite remember). I looked at it a little closer once she was on her way out of the store and saw a small, orange, glass heart with a cross imprinted in it. I choked up a little because I had been at a point in my faith journey where I was struggling, and the cashier chimed in with:

“Isn’t that awesome? She does that every time she comes in here.”

It was, in fact, awesome. And worth much more to me than a small, glass heart with a cross in it. I keep it in my crystal pouch. I always will.

In that two-minute interaction, the words I love you weren’t spoken, but they were demonstrated.

Scenario B:

Not one of my prouder moments, but it's important to share. I was in line in a thrift store, waiting for my turn to check out. There was a mega-sale on clothes and the couple in front of me took full advantage of it, that’s for sure. A cart-full of clothes that had to be taken off the hangers, rung up and bagged. I was there for a while.

In the process of standing there, I noticed the design on the man’s back pocket (no, I was not checking him out, but it was covered in rhinestones and quite flashy). At this point, I had been working on being non-judgemental of others, and also on my patience level (an on-going battle, I’m afraid). I immediately associated the design on his jeans with a certain label that society applies to some people.

I narrated myself out of that judgement. I was also getting antsy, but not angry, unlike other times. The woman finally moved some of their items further down on the counter so I could put my items on it. My response:

“Oh, no, don’t worry, about it you’re completely fine.”

Her and her husband both expressed their gratitude from my patience. I responded with:

“Oh, please, don’t worry about it. You guys did great, I’m proud of you!”

They chuckled, the cashier chuckled, even the couple behind me chuckled.

That sparked a fun conversation with the woman about how they didn’t really need anything, they were just in town for a funeral, and their one thrift store back in their hometown is only a small portion of this one, etc. We laughed a bit more, and they headed out the door.

As I was checking out, she popped her head back in the door and said that someone had parked in front of them and also behind them, so they were trapped. I was heading out the door after paying and sure enough it was me that parked behind them. They weren’t mad at all, we actually laughed about it, and while I was on my way to my car to free them, she offered to carry one of my items!

I was humbled; I learned a lesson about myself and what learned behaviors I need to put in more work to un-learn. To this day, I am grateful for that interaction. I think of them often and I hope that they are still enjoying their treasures.

In that ten-minute interaction, the words I love you weren’t spoken, but they were demonstrated.

Scenario C:

 I was in a gas station, and when I walked in I saw a woman that was standing at the counter with a somewhat sour look on her face and listening to the cashier speak. I didn’t think much of it, I just told myself that maybe she was having a rough day.

When I got up to the counter to pay, they were still talking (which turned about to be seemingly negative about a co-worker). I patiently waited until they were done. The cashier finally looked at me, I told her what I wanted, and the woman with the sour look on her face spoke up:

“I thought you were still deciding what you wanted, I’m sorry! We’re just talking away here..”

I replied with a smirk and a chuckle “I was just patiently waiting for you to be done, you needed to vent apparently.”

Both she and the cashier laughed.

The woman with the sour look just said, “You’re awesome.”

a.k.a “I love you.”

It wasn’t my place to judge any part of their conversation, but I did help change the woman’s sour look to a smile.

In that thirty second interaction, the words I love you weren’t spoken, but they were demonstrated.

There really is love in all things, and I implore you to find it. And when you do, don't keep it to yourself.