It's Valentine's Day and Love is in the air. The birds and frogs are croaking, the sun is shining (or will be soon), and everyone is feeling a little happier. Love. It's the grandest of all emotions. It can take us on an emotional ride of highs and lows. But, when all is said and done, love truly is what makes the world go 'round. And since it is Valentine's Day, I prepared a special breakfast for my beloved teacher, the Dharma Frog. I even put a few flowers on the table, used my good china, and brewed a pot a special tea. Just as I took the heart-shaped mosquito muffins out of the oven, Dharma appeared. He was in an especially good mood. As we sat down to dine, Dharma began to speak of love, "Tadpole, we frogs...and humans too, I suspect...think about love as being romantic, the all-encompassing kind of love that sweeps us off our flippers. But love isn't only that. When we say we like to watch the sunrise, that is love. When we prepare or eat a delicious meal, like this one, we can say that is love, too. Love comes in all forms. Love is all the things that make life worth living. Irwin, the frog who is deeply loved by another gains strength, while the frog who deeply loves another gains courage. That love can be the romantic kind or the love of a parent or dear friend. It doesn't matter. Love will always give us strength and courage."
As we sipped our tea and munched our muffins, Dharma explained all of this in greater detail. In the case of inbound love...when someone loves us deeply...we gain strength. We are able to accept our challenges, to handle our toughest times when we know that someone loves us...that we are not going through these things alone. With love, all things are possible. And what about outbound love...the deep love we feel for another? That, my son, gives us courage. Many love stories have been written about heroic feats accomplished in the name of love. It is understood that the deep love we feel for someone will sustain us and help us through even the most difficult times. Why is this, Tadpole? It's because with deep love we become embolden; we gain confidence that we often didn't know we had. The love we give to others provides us with reasons to be brave and bold. With love for others in our hearts, we are far more prepared to sacrifice so that won't have to suffer. A mother's love for her child is the perfect example of this. When we give love to another, it shows our willingness to be compassionate and to be vulnerable. Inbound love, that love we receive from others, buoys us. With the loving support of others, we feel as if we are capable of doing nearly anything. When we act selflessly, Irwin, we show the world that there is more to life than just our own self-interests.
Strength and courage are very similar but they are different things. Strength, be it physical, emotional, or mental, means we can rise up to meet our challenge; to overcome and persevere. Courage, though, means the same thing, all while knowing that we lack the strength. Courage comes from the French word coeur, meaning heart.
"It takes strength to be firm, It takes courage to be gentle. It takes strength to feel a friend’s pain, It takes courage to feel your own pain. It takes strength to survive, it takes courage to live. It takes strength to be loved and it takes courage to love. Whenever you feel you have neither, may the heart of the universe hug you today with its warmth, and love. And may the wind carry a voice that tells you there is a friend sitting in another corner of the world wishing you well!"
I am not ashamed to say that I love Dharma. He is not only my trusted adviser, but he is my dearest friend. Surrounded by the love of my family and friends, I know that I am one lucky frog! I wish you love.
As we sipped our tea and munched our muffins, Dharma explained all of this in greater detail. In the case of inbound love...when someone loves us deeply...we gain strength. We are able to accept our challenges, to handle our toughest times when we know that someone loves us...that we are not going through these things alone. With love, all things are possible. And what about outbound love...the deep love we feel for another? That, my son, gives us courage. Many love stories have been written about heroic feats accomplished in the name of love. It is understood that the deep love we feel for someone will sustain us and help us through even the most difficult times. Why is this, Tadpole? It's because with deep love we become embolden; we gain confidence that we often didn't know we had. The love we give to others provides us with reasons to be brave and bold. With love for others in our hearts, we are far more prepared to sacrifice so that won't have to suffer. A mother's love for her child is the perfect example of this. When we give love to another, it shows our willingness to be compassionate and to be vulnerable. Inbound love, that love we receive from others, buoys us. With the loving support of others, we feel as if we are capable of doing nearly anything. When we act selflessly, Irwin, we show the world that there is more to life than just our own self-interests.
Strength and courage are very similar but they are different things. Strength, be it physical, emotional, or mental, means we can rise up to meet our challenge; to overcome and persevere. Courage, though, means the same thing, all while knowing that we lack the strength. Courage comes from the French word coeur, meaning heart.
"It takes strength to be firm, It takes courage to be gentle. It takes strength to feel a friend’s pain, It takes courage to feel your own pain. It takes strength to survive, it takes courage to live. It takes strength to be loved and it takes courage to love. Whenever you feel you have neither, may the heart of the universe hug you today with its warmth, and love. And may the wind carry a voice that tells you there is a friend sitting in another corner of the world wishing you well!"
I am not ashamed to say that I love Dharma. He is not only my trusted adviser, but he is my dearest friend. Surrounded by the love of my family and friends, I know that I am one lucky frog! I wish you love.
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