As I was  prepping for my radio interview tonight with don Jose Ruiz; author of My Good Friend The Rattlesnake: Stories of Loss, Truth and Transformation, I came upon this question that had me widen my eyes and take a heart leap: “Are you happily in love with life?” The line was part of a story he told about having taken a trip to India where he and two businessmen were witnessing a man he described as a ‘vagabond’ who was singing and dancing for all he was worth, unaware or perhaps uncaring of who was present. One of the men made a disparaging comment, calling the old man “crazy”. The other man made an observation that he was “happily in love with life,” and that superseded any other designation. He asked his companion if he could say the same thing about his life and when the response was “no,” he asked “Then who is crazy?”

When I think about that question, I am glad to offer a hardy YES!  For me, being in love with life is the same as being in love with a person. It doesn’t mean that I am happy with their choices, beliefs and actions 24/7, any more than I am content with my own. It does leave room for taking in the beauty and blessings of this human existence, as well as the lessons and challenges that make me more resilient. My experience has shown me that we are given birth and that we make a life from the pieces we are handed. The more I connect with people who tell me that their childhood was so different from mine, the more I marvel that they have been able to take those fragments and put them together in a fashion that has them functioning as well as they do. It just occurred to me that because I had such a loving childhood filled with support and the benefits of parents who adored each other and us, it is incumbent upon me to share that blessing. I have no right to hold back. How can I possibly NOT be in love with life?

I have to come clean and tell you that there are times when I kvetch and moan, feeling put upon and less-than when I am not getting the acknowledgement I want for my work and then when I do get it, I sometimes experience embarrassment for being the center of attention. I occasionally imagine that I am on this metaphorical treadmill still; even though I have dramatically changed my over- the- top, workaholic, insane schedule and the only treadmill I trod is at the gym. I ask myself why I still have a need to succeed that has me scaling a proverbial Mt. Everest. What do I need to prove anymore? Am I afraid that if I rest at the summit, I will be content to stay there forever and never climb higher? Sure. Is that likely?  Nah.

What is it about life that beckons me to love it so?

Family and friends who are my treasures.

Work that nourishes and sustains me physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually and financially.

My eclectically decorated cozy home into which I invite kindred spirits.

Resilience that had me bouncing back from loss, death, illness and life getting ‘lifey’.

An Opti-Mystic attitude that has me viewing life through the eyes of possibility.

Books that invite me into their pages where I experience infinite adventures.

Music that seduces me into singing along.

Drumming that calls out to me with heart beat rhythm.

Dancing that moves me.

Miracles too amazing to even name at times.

Divine design that has me marveling at its intricate patterns and weavings.

Cosmic coincidence and overlapping soul circles of people I encounter every day.

A growing certainty that life loves me back. Who could ask for more?