The 3 (Counter-Intuitive) Keys to Awakening a Buddhist Notion of Love: Join Waylon Lewis this Valentine’s Day for a one-hour class that will flip your notion of love on its head—whether you’re single, committed, or broken-hearted. ⁠

Happily Ever After isn’t easy,
—but it is Real, and that’s Better.

“Relationships are easy..!,”

said no one ever

who was actually in a relationship

communication is the vehicle
to fuel this bumpy journey, we need vulnerability, listening, curiosity, passion, caring, humor…then we can get through the stubbornness, the habitual patterns, and get to the tears, and open up the anger,
we can get through all of it
With appreciation, loving to love, kindness, thoughtfulness,
cuddling, her fingers gently stroking mine, my arm holding her to me
with communication, appreciation, affection
I am continually reinspired to try again
we are so different
she’s quiet, thoughtful, defensive, sweet, vulnerable
I’m speedy, communicative, earnest, easily hurt, easily frustrated,
but we find our loves for one another braided through
and I love to love her
in little ways—bringing her a hot water bottle (her feet are always cold), or
this morning, to wake with her, the day still night, 6 am, cold, bundled up, we bike down the hill to Yoga Pearl
then I back up, alone, and back to bed, while she teaches
sleepy Redford, post-surgery, didn’t notice our absence (younger Red would have woken with our movement and absence)
An hour or so later she is back, I greet her, miscommunication, communication,
she’s brought us cinnamon raison bagels from Trident
and a beso
and I’m finally feeling better and the birds (and squirrel) are eating breakfast outside our window on the bird feeder,
and I make coffee and she drinks her tea around the old oak table

and our path continues to braid its way, forward.