Legacy of Love

Legacy of Love

Silently, she sat, her fail body gently swaying to the rhythm and motion of her rocking chair.  Her mind lost to another place and time, to a time of her youth when love was fresh and alive.  When living to her meant more than security and possessions.  Old and precious memories are all she has now as they flash across her aged mind leaving behind in the aftermath the destruction of her emotions.  Slowly she surveys her familiar surrounding before her.  The cluttered walls plastered with pictures and memento’s emphasizing the accomplishments of her life.  The worn out  and aged furniture that she refused to allow anyone to part with no matter their condition, for they were not worn in her eyes but had taken on the appearance of an old trusted friend.  Off in the distance the sounds of laughter drew her attention back to reality to the familiar faces of strong, robust, adults whom long ago were infants that she lovingly had cradled to her bosom, and realizing all that she had and all that she had lost a tear slowly made a pathway down her frail face.  It is her eightieth birthday and Valentines Day.  Though she is surrounded by her loved ones, something is missing.  Memories of one vibrant man who carried her off in her youth and claimed her as his bride is the life force that she silently mourns for.  Thirty-five years have passed since the day cancer had claimed his last breath.  Thirty-five years of holidays come and gone but this was the hardest one for her to endure.  How he would always remember her special day with hand written love poems expressing his undying love he had for her.  Oh how she treasured his words, if only she could hear them now.  If only, silently she lowers her head and exhales a deep sigh.  How much longer will she have to endure without him?  Unaware that she was no longer alone in her moment of weakness, her body jumped at the feel of a warm hand gently resting on her fallen shoulders.  Refusing to let her emotions overcome her and spoil the festivities of those around her, she lifted her head in defiance of the turmoil raging within her soul and gave her best interpretation of a smile.  The love she received emanating from her daughters eyes was enough to release the flood of tears she fought so hard to contain.  Immediately her daughters arms where wrapped around her offering her comfort and love and for only a brief moment, she succumbed and allowed herself to become the child and her daughter to become the mother.  Tenderly they pulled apart and a broken smile illuminated her face.  Without uttering a word, her daughter extended out her hand, Happy Birthday Mom and most importantly Happy Valentine’s Day. There within the youthful fingers laid a familiar worn and battered book.  One red ribbon encircled the cover as though in a loving embrace. A look of fear then jubilation filled the old woman’s soul at the sight of this book.  A book of poems presumably lost long ago.  A gift she received right before death claimed the life of the one man she had ever loved.  Her trembling hand reached out and placing her fingertips upon the familiar cover, her body was immediately filled with his presence.  Passively she ran her fingertips over the embedded lettering, “Legacy of Love”.  Silently and ever so gently she caressed those words, inhaling in the sweet memories of his face, his touch, his presence and most importantly his love.  Slowly she unfolded the ribbon and drew in a deep breath.  Needing encouragement and strength to proceed forward, she found it waiting within her daughters loving eyes.  With trembling hands she turned the cover to reveal his last words written to her.  With no more than a whisper she brought his words back to life.  “My love”, she paused, choked with emotions, “never will life hold more than this passing of time that I have shared with you. For never has my heart known love as pure and unrestrained as you have shown me, to have lived my life without the gift of your embrace would be to never have lived at all.  To have never experienced the feel of your body, the warmth of your kiss would be an injustice.  For you have taught me through your passion the real meaning of what Love is all about.  A love like ours will never die but will endure and forever be carried forward from generation to generation through our offspring.   Our Legacy of Love will comfort you until that glorious day when we are once again reunited in God’s Kingdom. Happy Birthday my love but most importantly Happy Valentine’s  Day”  Clutching the worn out book against her breast she struggled to compose herself, as she surveyed the room totally unaware that all her children and grandchildren had surrounded her.  Wiping the tears of yesterday away, she gazed tenderly at her family before her.  Her husband was right the love they shared had been carried forward and the evidence was there within each of their smiles and loving embrace.  She rose from her rocking chair full of confidence and strength, stretched out her arms to be enfolded by her children’s loving embrace and told all that she was proud to have been chosen so long ago to be the one to carry on his legacy of love.

With Valentine’s Day slowly approaching society makes us aware that we MUST do something to show the one special person in our life how much we love and appreciate them.  We are bombarded by Boxes of heart shaped candies, displays of red roses, balloons showing our feelings, tons of cards expressing the words we wish we could say, jewelry stores with huge displays along with prices we can’t afford to pass up.  Let’s not forget the plans for dinner, a movie, a romantic getaway all done in the name of Love.  But is this really what love is all about?  Should love and appreciation only be limited to one day a year, Valentine’s Day?  Should we expect no more to offer or receive than any other day of the year?  Don’t get me wrong everyone likes to receive these gestures but is it a “forced” gesture made so that you don’t end up sleeping in the “dog house” because you forgot to do any of the above.

Love and appreciation should be shown daily even on the smallest of scales.  That look that you see in your loved ones eyes that still gives you goose bumps.  The hug or kiss that you get when you least expect it.  Saying how beautiful you still look when you know you look like you’ve been dragged for miles on a dusty dirt road behind a pickup truck, but he can still see your true beauty emanating out.  Or when he lets you watch that “chick flick” even though you know it’s killing him because the History Channel is running a Marathon about all the famous wars.  Love should be about expressing  our love in the unexpected, like that note you find hidden in your briefcase, or taped on the bathroom mirror, or saving and sharing that last bite of chocolate cake even though you know the last bite is” ALWAYS THE BEST.”  Love is about “attention” something we all crave for, “accepting” for who we are with all our fault, failures, and success,  “appreciating” for all we give or try our best to give.  Love is not bought and is not forced.  It comes naturally and without effort. 

Let’s not forget this Valentine’s Day to be appreciative of all the daily tokens we receive every moment of our lives.  Let’s not forget that Valentine’s Day happens every day in our lives by showing our love in everything we say or do. Let’s remember that what we do and how we do it is our Legacy we leave behind.