The Meaning of Life

I have been thinking alot about the meaning of life recently. I was out watering the grass and was looking at the birds and the trees and I even saw a magic black squirrel.. Okay not magic, but black squirrels are rare in these parts. And as I'm watering the grass I started to think about what is the most important thing in my life... and it all came down to one thing.. relationships. I value all of the relationships in my life, from my friends to acquaintances to people I haven't talked to in years. My play family and my real family.. people who I admire from afar and am enamored with up close... I love that human connection and that has to be the best part of life because it is automatic.

I first started thinking about this when my baby girl was born. My cousin gave birth to the cutest baby in the whole wide world last year and I just fell in love with her instantly. When I look at her my heart melts and I buy her all kinds of things. I was wondering why is this love automatic. She is a very sweet baby, but she doesn't give me all of the things that I look for in adult relationships. The love I have for her is constant. Even when she wont come to me and when she cries and even when she tried to kick me in the face, I love her still. That is what life is about.

These connections are automatic, like when you meet someone at a party and wonder why you are just becoming friends, why did it take you so long to find out how great that person was. I had a moment that spoke so clearly to this over the weekend. One of my Ultimates had a birthday party in Philly last week. I told her I was not coming because I couldnt afford it, but I surprised her anyway.. I was giddy the entire weekend and when I walked into the party and she saw me... She looked, then her eyes registered that it was me... and it was so exciting. It was her excitement, the love we share for one another all expressed in that moment which makes me know that human connection has to be what its all about. Yeah, she would love me still if i didn't come to the party and it would have been all good... but its the love for someone that tells you that you cant miss their party,.. and its the gratitude that they feel when you show up that makes all the drama of life worth it.

I often think about how fun it is to be standing in the line someone and strike up a cool conversation with a complete stranger about everything or anything and then you bid farewell, but with a smile on your face. I always think.. there it is! This is it! I mean we all know that humans are social creatures and if we dont have social connections we will go crazy... I think that's why I teach, I get to have that human connection everyday... its also what makes it so hard because teaching is so personal... each day you are interfacing with little people who have moods and attitudes and their own agenda in the classroom... and it can be hard to not take it personally when they dont give two hot hells what you are talking about.. but when they do, its priceless!!

The song is right when it says "love is all we need" because money can't rule the world and when things get dramatic, and difficult, as life takes its toll on us.. its the love that keeps us whole. Thats why when I hold my little baby girl and she smiles at me, nothing else matters, the problems melt away and its just me and her.