Love In All Its Forms…

This past week I was reminded of some of the unexpected forms love can take in our lives.

A few days ago, via a Facebook post, I learned a friend of mine had passed away via a short bout with lung cancer. At the end, she was surrounded by family. I met her back in 2002. She was a vibrant, alive, troubled and energetic woman. She was a political rabble-rouser, an artist and a theatrical performer. She had hard times, she wrestled with her demons, but she always arose again to start another fight, do another benefit or performance, and to have another go at it… whatever “it” was for her. Sometimes we drifted in and out of contact. Sometimes I encouraged her. Sometimes she encouraged me. I had met her as a fellow fan of a Bob Dylan, but it turned out we enjoyed many of the same music, and once, when I heard she wanted to learn more about one musician, I mailed her my CDs. I was thinking of selling them. I sent them to her instead. She asked me what she could do for me. I said send me some interesting postcards. I got dozens of them. A few of them are still up on my wall. I can see them as I type this.

So I sit here, saddened that she is no longer here, but happy and enriched to have known her. And I never physically met her. Never got a chance to hug her. She lived in Christchurch, New Zealand and I live in New York City, but she touched me and I like to think I touched her. I was a little surprised at the depth of my response to her death. I didn’t quite consciously realize how much she meant to me until now.

And I am more oblivious than I realized, emotionally, because I got another reminder this week, too. I have a friend I have known since high school. We were friends during our college years, we drift, we connect again, we drift again, but when we connect we are always close, always honest and direct with each other when talking about the things that mattered.

Well, recently she told me there were a few times in her life when she didn’t love herself, but that I was there to love her, and it helped her through. I was honored and flattered (and maybe a little surprised) to have been such a good friend, and a little embarrassed, too, because I had no idea whatsoever she was feeling that way at those times. How did I help someone without even being aware I was helping?

Well… I did.
And this is why, every day, we need to be loving and kind.

Let me close with a favorite quote of mine:

“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. That is not our business and, in fact, it is nobody’s business. What we are asked to do is to love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy if anything can.” ~ Thomas Merton

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NOTE:
I co-host a weekly internet radio show called “What’s Your Sign? I Have Your Number” with Sharita Star, numerologist and a fellow astrologer. It is on the HeyZ Radio Network on Monday evenings from 7pm to 9pm at http://heyzradio.com/shows/signs-numbers/ We discuss astrology, numerology and have assorted guests, ranging from fellow astrologers to psychics, mediums, entertainers, tarot card experts, reiki masters, authors, and all things metaphysical. To listen, go to the chat room on their website when the show is on the air. If the sound gets spotty during the broadcast, refresh your browser. There is also a downloadable app here: http://heyzradio.com/app/ if you wish to listen via smart phone or tablet.

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NOTE #2:
Once a month I host an astrology meetup in NYC, usually on the second Tuesday of the month at the Quest book shop. If you are in the NYC area and are interested, you can register for free at http://www.meetup.com/nyc-astrology/ and get monthly announcements of upcoming lecturers. All levels of astrologer are welcome, from beginner to experienced professional. There is an intro chat for beginners, and then the main lecture. May 12th will be a lecture on How I Look at Interpreting A Birth Chart.