LOVE IS THE WORD

This is the ninth year I have chosen a word that will guide my year.
Not a resolution.
Not a goal.
A word.

In the past, I have chosen words like JOY and SINCERITY.   (Links for these writings are found below.) 
Last January, after 2018 was an especially tough year, I chose the word “Fun.” After the pain and trauma of my car accident, I just needed some fun in my life. Little did I know that 2019 would be another difficult year with my mom’s health issues and her passing. When someone you love passes, it isn’t a good year - or fun.

I have given a lot of thought about my word for 2020. I believe we are here for three reasons - to learn, to teach, and to love. With an emphasis on Love. To love and be loved.

Recently, I was having a very deep conversation with my grandsons. If you think a conversation can’t be “deep” with a 10-year-old and 2 7-year-olds you are wrong. Somehow the discussion turned to what a person needs to survive. They agreed that food, water, and shelter, would be what a person requires. And then I told them that I believed there was another thing that a human couldn’t live without - LOVE.

They promptly disagreed as I explained that one of our needs to survive is to love and be loved. One of them said, - “Google it!” 
They believe, that “Google” is like the all-knowing OZ behind the curtain and would solve our debate.
So, I typed,
 “Can a person live without love?” 
in the search bar. 
I found this quote by, David Samuel:

“To live without loving is merely existing, it is a robot's life. To be truly alive, to live, to feel, one must have someone to love. ... Without love, the riches of life are worthless.” (Link below.)
 
The boys immediately understood this. After all, they understood what a robot is and who wants to live a mechanical life like that. They conceded that Grandma, (or maybe Google), was correct. Humans cannot live without love! I even pushed it a bit further and told them I believed that love was the most important thing we needed to live - above food, water, and shelter.

As I began contemplating my word for 2020, this conversation came back to me. If I do believe that love is the most important requirement to live - and I do. I also believe LOVE is the most important word in any language. Soooo... Why wouldn’t I put effort into living by this word?

I realize that in 2018 the collision I was involved in could have easily taken my life in one swift second. I didn’t know that in the year 2019 I would say goodbye to my Mom.
Life is brief. 
Life is fragile.
Life is finite.

What if we lived every day as if it was our last chance to share the love?
What if every time we saw someone we cared about,  it was our last chance to say, “I love you.” 
What if this moment right now was the last chance we have to feel like we were loved?

In 2020 I want to love more in big ways and small. To show love to those I care about and strangers I don’t know. To breathe in and accept Love from others. To express Love in silent and anonymous ways. To think about how my words have power and put effort into speaking in loving ways.

Love. 
This simple little four-letter word is also the biggest word in my life.
Love is my word for 2020 - And beyond.
 
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Pennie's Life Lesson:     
      “To love and be loved is the most
​        important requirement of life.”
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Writing links: 
I HELD JOY IN MY HAND
​ THE PROMISE OF SINCERITY
David Samuel Quote

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YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about  what your word for 2020 is.  What will be your theme for the new year? 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                Thank you!  ​              
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