To Love and Be Loved

I sometimes wonder about love. According to Plato, every person is in search of his missing half - the physical and spiritual half that complements and completes each of us. In popular culture, we know this half as "the one," often attributed to the workings of destiny and the product of fate. But it's very hard to believe that in our lifetime, with the many people we have come across and those we have yet to meet, there is only one person who was meant for each and every one of us. I believe that we each have numerous opportunities to love and be loved in the romantic context. I like to think that love is governed by free will and we are all able to impart our own magic. It is true that sometimes we can't control how and when we fall in love because the heart can speak louder than logic. I think the real beauty and magnificence of love lies within each of us - in our power to choose and make the experience of love our own.

2001

Nostalgia

The evening air is so mild and sweet
And yet it passes not as a breeze,
But as a strong current
That carries melancholic memories.
Heavy with introspection and
Roaming with countless smiles,
This wind sweeps by
But it lingers like spilled perfume
And ebbs like a sea of tears,
The zephyr wishes to continue on it way
But I trap it in my room
And pull it around me like a blanket.
It tastes bittersweet and refreshing.
It rises with a cooling warmth.
Its aroma does not release me.
The air is invigorating and at the same time,
It chokes me with gentle hands.

May 1999

Renewal

I think the last time I made a New Year's resolution was when I was ten years old. I swore that I would stop biting my nails so I could have pretty, feminine hands (i.e. non-tomboy hands). I don't remember how that panned out. This past year, I didn't make a resolution because I think my wish is always the same. I hope to be a more giving friend, a more forgiving person and an unconditionally supportive sister/daughter/partner. I want to nurture my relationships, feed my spirit and frolic in the park with my dogs. I don't want to ever feel indifferent about my life, my goals or my relationships. And, there is always room for self-improvement.

This past year has been one of revelation, liberation and renewal. I discovered and re-discovered people and things when I least expected it (that's the best). I find myself a little older and wiser and sublimely content with just being. Meaningful conversation is the best past-time. Spontaneity is a good motto to follow. Though we don't search for it, there is some form of regret no matter how small or how much we try to deny having even one. But importantly, we learn from it, let it go, and move forward. We try our best to make our own destiny, but just maybe, some things are written in the stars and only time will tell.