By Samantha
Some may think that my idea of religion is humorous; however love propels us to be proactive and reactive. Whether the subject is Jesus or John, our new beau, love drives our emotion base. You don’t agree? Okay, think about this…you fast, pray and do morally correct things due to the love of Jesus Christ or whomever you serve. Okay, now think about when you fell in love. You made those annoying phone calls, you may have sent flowers or candy, you went on romantic dates or whatever, you get the point. You did those things because you were emotionally compelled to show your love for another person, for some of you lonely ones, it could’ve been a blow up doll, I won’t judge. The point is love drives us, we then label that love with titles such as Christianity or Muslim, when actually it is love.
Everyone has an idea of what love is, but there are sides to love that people try to ignore. Love is accepting a woman that gave birth to children that are not yours, love is staying with a man even though he was laid off, love is being there for your partner through sickness and pain, and love is staying with your spouse through their indiscretion. Love is accepting the many flaws that come with being human, which makes love painful and a sacrificial practice.
It can’t always be warm and sunny days; somewhere along the line we are going to have cloudy, thunderous, rainy, dreary days. And the good the thing about the lightening, is that it helps you see. You can see through your situation so much better when you appreciate its many aspects.
I remember when I complained about the prices of gas rising. It was annoying and very costly for me. My higher power must have heard me complaining because just as soon as the thoughts were ushered through my mouth, my car was gone and as you can guess I was back on public transportation. I dreaded the bus and el; everyday there was a delay which cost me money from my job, my child’s school and my sanity. However, I began to appreciate the advantages I had once had when I was driving. I know that doesn’t completely show the silver lining, but if you live in Chicago and have frequented the Red line, you would know what I mean.
Over the past year, I have learned a lot about how to love. I thought I knew how to love until the object of my affection was taking away from me, and then I really saw how insignificant the other things were. The ‘other things’ are issues that arise that distract you away from love. Another thing would be having a disagreement about trivial things such as what to have for dinner, what road to take to reach your destination, an old friend calling out of the blue or whose turn it is to wash the dishes. Other things take up so much time that you and your mate, parent, friend, or relative could be sharing.
I used to let the other things challenge my relationships. I used to find it difficult to say sorry and ask for forgiveness. I would argue over toilet paper (really, me and my guy had this disagreement), but ten minutes later it didn’t even matter. That was ten minutes out of my life that I would never get back. The other things or bullsh*t as some people call it tries to define your relationship if you allow it, and I admit occasionally I did.   
I just want people to understand the importance of showing love to one another and not letting the little things stand in the way of happiness. As I type, someone is missing their opportunity. I hope we can share this journey together.
Much Love~