I am a firm believer in listening to missives from the Universe.

If Spirit wants to get my attention, there are plenty of methods at its disposal.

They have arrived in dreams and during waking hours. They show up in the shower (and sometimes wash my back) and in the car. They are in song lyrics and on license plates and bumper stickers. They are words spoken by family, friends, and even strangers who cross my path ever so briefly.

A message came through to me two years ago today. It goes like this:

“You are here in this lifetime to experience big love. It may not look like you expect it to. It may come out of the blue.

It is expansive and abundant. It takes many forms. It enables you to go heart to heart with people and not just head to head. It is your wild carpet ride and magical mystery tour. It is breathtaking and dazzling.

It sets your feet to dancing and heart to leaping. It transcends definition and is completely unlimited. It takes you on unexpected flights of fancy and fantasy. It oozes from your pores. It is all-encompassing.

It invites you to change your mind about everything you thought you knew. It dares you to dream. It bolsters you when you are flagging.

It is unconditional. It sustains you when you feel weak and vulnerable. It allows you to say things you never thought you would. It gives you courage and scares the crap out of you at the same time. It is all you were, all you are, and all you ever will be.

Embrace it. It wants to embrace you.”

Wowzers! What if that’s true?

The goosebump-inducing imagery is too rich not to be true. Love takes a myriad of forms, not just the luscious, juicy, romantic kind, although I wouldn’t turn it away if it showed up on my doorstep.

My welcome mat, given to me by my son and daughter-in-law, reads, “Prepare to be hugged.”

There hasn’t been a whole lot of that in the past year and a half. Like many who have weathered the pandemic, I did it solo. Thank goodness for technology that allowed me to be in touch with the world.

Since one of my personas is the Hugmobster Armed With Love, I have turned all of that nurturing inward by embracing myself. That also took the form of emotionally embracing the woman who had been accustomed to being a social butterfly who thrived on face-to-face interaction without a computer screen between us.

I often questioned who I was without skin-to-skin contact with others. I have since discovered a deeper, fuller person in her entirety. Enough, as is.

Just to prove my point, as I am typing these words, a song that I had never heard is playing. It’s called Adore by the Savages. The outro lyrics repeat, “I adore life. Do you adore life?”

I definitely adore life in its myriad forms.

It’s easy to be in love with life when things are hunky-dory and all things seem to fall naturally and gracefully into place. Walking on sunshine and all that. Pleasures show up at the speed of thought and sometimes unbidden, like rich, dark chocolate treats.

I am encouraged by the resilience of people who rise from pain and trauma. I am inspired by those who keep on keeping on when it seems that the weight of the world is on their shoulders.

I count myself in that group, although I know that even though we may be in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat.

Last night, I spoke with a friend I haven’t seen in years. Our friendship began, as many do, online. He is also a creative soul, an author, speaker, and newly minted yoga teacher.

What I have admired about him from the get-go is the way he is a traveler of both inner and outer worlds. Retired from his previous career in the business realm, he is all about the universe’s business. I marvel that he has let go of the expectations of who he is supposed to be and how he is engaged with life. He trusts and surrenders. A free spirit, a kindred spirit.

Our conversation reminded me that the choices we make and how we interact beyond what might be considered societal norms are purely our own. I look forward to a time when I can hug my friend who towers over me.

When my mother was still on this side of the veil, she asked me on a phone call, “How’s your love life?” My natural response was, “Great. I love life.” And I do—and it loves me back.

I live such an extraordinary life that if someone arrives to share it with me, it will be an anam cara (soul friend in Gaelic) who wants to immerse in an adventure of this or any lifetime.

The welcome mat is out.

~