In the Arms of Love

Love is there by the banks of a great river on a warm summer night. By the sound of a violin and banjo, inside a red barn, amidst people you know and love. Your special one awaits you.

Transcript

In the arms of love,

A meditation.

A rich,

Steady,

Organic love might feel far away.

It might seem like warmth and aliveness are just nice concepts,

But not real.

That's okay.

We all know what coldness feels like.

What emptiness feels like.

That gray nothingness can get a little too familiar at times.

Still,

There is a way for you to be held and cherished.

A place where you awaken to something bigger and more alive than yourself.

Where you are part of it all and the grace of love surprises you.

I will take you there now.

The fireflies are out.

You catch flicker after flicker in the blue twilight under old draping willow trees.

It's a warm night by the great river and you follow the trail to a gathering.

You feel tired.

Tired,

Yet satisfied.

Like you've given it all you've got.

As you get closer and hear some children giggling past the old trees,

You spy a young couple with toddlers in their laps.

You're sitting just past a tall cedar tree looking radiant,

Smiling at everybody.

As you get closer and see strings of lights hanging from a red barn,

The young couple is laughing hard,

A minor miracle considering what happened to them.

They lost their home a couple months ago to a fire and the husband's parents died shortly before that,

The last remaining grandparents.

Stick is coming out of the barn including a banjo,

Violin,

Guitar,

Even an ancient sounding flute.

The family sees you and the two kids leap up and run over to hug you.

The boy with pink ice cream in his mouth and the girl with green ice cream in her mouth.

As they huddle at your knees,

You hold them close and smile over at the parents.

Dozens of people are milling about behind them,

All of whom you know.

You get to know them when everyone pitched in to help this family.

Your losses ignited something in the neighborhood.

Tonight everyone is here to celebrate.

As the kids run back,

You follow them and greet the parents.

They thank you for what you've done for them and together give you a big warm hug.

Soon you leave them to other neighbors who are gathering around them.

A couple butterflies stir in your belly as you move towards the food tables covered in blue and white tablecloth.

Crickets getting a bit louder.

A certain person will be here,

You think to yourself.

The one who turned out to be a surprise.

Grabbing a slice of thin-crust pizza covered with mushrooms,

You ponder this person.

You've been neighbors for years and they seemed reserved,

Unavailable.

But then you both led this effort together.

It was one thing that they volunteered at all,

But then they started an around-the-neighborhood meal sharing and hosted the weekly potluck where everyone could regroup and stay in sync.

When you reach for a drink and a pretty glass,

You consider how you both brought out the best in each other.

How they made things easier for you and probably vice versa.

Where you laughed a little louder with them.

You did good work together.

A group of small kids with bright blue hula hoops run past you as a very full moon peeks out over the river from behind a lopsided hill.

It draws you to the water with your glass in hand.

As you lean on a small tree,

You admire the smooth and rippled waters below.

A long time ago you jumped into these waters with no clothes on under such a moon.

You smile at the memory and take another sip.

Someone is approaching and when you turn,

There they are,

Standing next to you,

Smiling.

You turn to them and attempt small talk,

But you can't quite find the words.

Something about them makes you stop talking,

Breathe,

And turn back to the moon.

They look up too.

Your warm hand takes yours and you stand there together,

Admiring the ripples of water and the bright light upon it all.

The air is fresh and soft.

The music gets a bit livelier.

Is that a tambourine you hear and you ask if your companion wants to dance?

They admit they usually don't,

But they agree to anyway.

So the two of you wander slowly back to the group,

Asking a couple teenagers,

Making a dash for the pizza,

And you enter the barn where a hay-covered dance floor awaits.

People from 3 to 90 years old sway and shake it up under fairy lights and long ribbons.

Amidst the smell of fresh hay and sweat,

Some are singing at the top of their lungs,

Others dance a little ballroom,

And still others just chase kids around.

It's a bit of a romp.

You twirl around your special friend under long strands of hanging gold ribbons.

Your cheeks glow red and you just let go into the moment.

The band slows it down a little and you stop and look at your friend.

They wait for your cue before they come in close and you fold into each other.

The banjo player sings her simple,

Soulful song and you can feel the generations that came before you who probably danced to this same song.

You hold this dear person and they hold you back.

You let it all go and enjoy this person in a slow embrace.

Tonight love itself circulates through the room in the young family now dancing in a little group hug,

In the older women who have newly formed a book club and are chatting nearby,

In the two of you taking it slow now,

In an old shaggy dog sitting quietly observing it all.

The violin weaves a sweet melancholic tune as you sway back and forth together.

You feel in sync with this place,

With these people,

With this person.

As you breathe in and out you feel more and more relaxed and open.

You spy an apple red cheek of a small child and the warm brown of the barn walls.

You catch a glimpse of the moon outside before your friend pulls away.

As they look back at you something happens.

A shutter passes down your spine.

It's almost too much but it's real.

In the glow of the barn they really see you.

You take their hand and squeeze it in recognition.

You receive their love in a way you've never been able to before.

It humbles you and makes you stand taller all at once.

They are here now.

So are you.

As the music ends you press your forehead into theirs and you both close your eyes.

Their hands take yours and hold them.

This is it.

While the fireflies still glimmer just outside the barn and soft happy voices surround you.

You feel part of everything.

And you are.

Reviews

This is so lovely. ♡

You have a gift for story and your voice is so amazing and inviting. Thank you.
Hope you will offer more.

I adore this.... it makes my heart melt every time❤️

That was beautiful :)
The only thing that seemed a bit off was the pizza

Thanks! I love your voice, the music, and the tempo of your speech. I hope you will make more - and maybe some where we can fill in some blanks with our imagination too. I never listened to such a precise visualization before, is this a particular technique? (Thank goodness I like mushrooms! 😉)

Spoiler alert. This is a warm hopeful meditation. Namaste 💚

Very nice. Thank you.

Lovely🙏🏻Namaste💫🌟

Love the imagery. Thank you. Namaste💜🙏

Thank you! This helped visualize the possibility, helping call it forth. I enjoyed it very much