In May 2007, I wrote an article, Where does the brain end and the heart begin? The conundrum was: Does the head or the heart rule our emotions?
Opinions fell on the side of the brain, where memories are stored, as opposed to the heart, which is just a pump. But really, does it matter whether the mind and body are separate, drawing a distinction between physical reality and sensory experiences? Love is love, and aint love grand?
February, the month of love, certainly plays on emotions, wherever they originate. Everything red and white is in style and people scramble to buy cards and chocolate. Some lucky recipients may even get diamonds.
Even the universe gets into the spirit of things. For proof, check out the cosmic Valentine in an article (with photos) at slate.com about moon craters and colliding galaxies that are heart-shaped.
All you need is love, claimed the Beatles in 1967. As the years have passed, we know better than to take relationship advice from them. Most of us realize love is not all we need, but it sure is nice to have some.
Our grandchildren run to us with hugs and kisses as we wait with outstretched arms. The little ones think we are smart and wonderful, while the teenagers say hi and, though we know they like us, they take off to their busy lives.
Last month, we helped Tom while his wife, Stacy, went to help her sister who had a new baby. Grit cooked boiled eggs for the 6-year-old twins. Max and Luke liked them so much they asked for more so, of course, Grit offered the ones he cooked for himself. That evening they told Tom all about their breakfast and asked, Did Grandpa invent boiled eggs?
We need to grab honest love and accept compliments where we find them.
Our oldest granddaughter, Taryn, and husband Jason, are due any day to have our first great-grandchild, a girl. Perhaps this great-grandchild and the others that follow from our stair-step grandchildren will keep us feeling special for a long time to come.
As we go about our everyday lives, how easy we forget how important relationships are in keeping joy in our lives. We sometimes forget about or abuse friendships or let jealousy of our friends' successes weaken our ties to those friendships.
Spouse-wise, the longer we are married, the more we take each other for granted unless we work at keeping the flame alive.
The importance of relationships was a theme of the Tom Hanks movie, Cast Away." Stranded on an island and all alone, his character paints a face on a volleyball he names Wilson. He begins talking to it as if it were a person, showing how we all need companionship and love.
A friend I admire in so many ways, Carol Lynn Pearson, has given me permission to share a poem she wrote about love.
Seeing You Seeing Me
Seeing you seeing me
Took my breath away.
I never knew
There were Grand Canyons in me.
And Mona Lisas
And Sistine Chapels
And the Alps
Until that look,
That amazed, amazing look
Crossed your tourist face
And I became the newest
Wonder of the world.
The head or the heart? Who cares? We can be the most ordinary people in the world, but when we become the wonder of the world to someone special, well, theres just nothing like it, no matter how young or old we are.
Opinions fell on the side of the brain, where memories are stored, as opposed to the heart, which is just a pump. But really, does it matter whether the mind and body are separate, drawing a distinction between physical reality and sensory experiences? Love is love, and aint love grand?
February, the month of love, certainly plays on emotions, wherever they originate. Everything red and white is in style and people scramble to buy cards and chocolate. Some lucky recipients may even get diamonds.
Even the universe gets into the spirit of things. For proof, check out the cosmic Valentine in an article (with photos) at slate.com about moon craters and colliding galaxies that are heart-shaped.
All you need is love, claimed the Beatles in 1967. As the years have passed, we know better than to take relationship advice from them. Most of us realize love is not all we need, but it sure is nice to have some.
Our grandchildren run to us with hugs and kisses as we wait with outstretched arms. The little ones think we are smart and wonderful, while the teenagers say hi and, though we know they like us, they take off to their busy lives.
Last month, we helped Tom while his wife, Stacy, went to help her sister who had a new baby. Grit cooked boiled eggs for the 6-year-old twins. Max and Luke liked them so much they asked for more so, of course, Grit offered the ones he cooked for himself. That evening they told Tom all about their breakfast and asked, Did Grandpa invent boiled eggs?
We need to grab honest love and accept compliments where we find them.
Our oldest granddaughter, Taryn, and husband Jason, are due any day to have our first great-grandchild, a girl. Perhaps this great-grandchild and the others that follow from our stair-step grandchildren will keep us feeling special for a long time to come.
As we go about our everyday lives, how easy we forget how important relationships are in keeping joy in our lives. We sometimes forget about or abuse friendships or let jealousy of our friends' successes weaken our ties to those friendships.
Spouse-wise, the longer we are married, the more we take each other for granted unless we work at keeping the flame alive.
The importance of relationships was a theme of the Tom Hanks movie, Cast Away." Stranded on an island and all alone, his character paints a face on a volleyball he names Wilson. He begins talking to it as if it were a person, showing how we all need companionship and love.
A friend I admire in so many ways, Carol Lynn Pearson, has given me permission to share a poem she wrote about love.
Seeing You Seeing Me
Seeing you seeing me
Took my breath away.
I never knew
There were Grand Canyons in me.
And Mona Lisas
And Sistine Chapels
And the Alps
Until that look,
That amazed, amazing look
Crossed your tourist face
And I became the newest
Wonder of the world.
The head or the heart? Who cares? We can be the most ordinary people in the world, but when we become the wonder of the world to someone special, well, theres just nothing like it, no matter how young or old we are.
