Love.

Two of my favorites: Mer and John.
Photo by the incredibly talented Alison Lassiter, alisonlassiter.com

There was much love this weekend in a very tangible display of what happens when a lot of people come together around that love to make something beautiful. It was so wonderful to be a part of the wedding of one of my best friends who I've known since middle school to a solid, funny, deserving man who I now consider to be another one of my best friends (I'm fortunate to have many).

To celebrate with her family, who I have known since I was so young, and all of our girlfriends that have grown up together was an experience that I'll forever cherish. Every single person there was full of joy for them, there to have a good time and to celebrate and honor this amazing couple. We had so much fun with this extended group of fantastic people, instantly clicking with the friends they've gathered from all of their life paths. It's not at all surprising that these two have attracted a beautiful community around them.

It got me thinking a lot about love and the power of it. There was so much to go around: a regular love fest of happy tears and hearty laughs and hugs all weekend long from rehearsal dinner speeches to a post-wedding day school bus ride to the beach. It was real and beautiful and it made my soul so happy to stand there beside her to see her through this most important day in her life.

I truly believe that love can give us the strength to get through anything. Whether it's self love, love of a life partner, love toward a friend, a child, a pet, it's what carries us through the difficult times and what magnifies the good times. Everything is just that more beautiful when you can share it with someone you love.



As may be obvious from how often I post song lyrics and videos, music is a big love of mine and Dave Matthews Band is a longtime favorite that always finds a way to provide a soundtrack to my life.

Recently they released the first single, "Mercy,"off their soon-to-be-released album. I love everything about it and everything that the lyrics convey. What I love most is the music video they created through a call to their fans for video clip participation. An incredible 14,334 people contributed from all over the world to create this video, making a big statement for the power of coming together to accomplish something of beauty.

Dave said in an interview with Billboard Magazine that he hopes the release of this song "inspires people to find the things that they love, inspires them to feel good, to feel love, or ambition, or feel powerful. Whatever they need."

I love that. Go find what you love. It'll bring you what you need.

Mercy
Don't give up

I know you can see

All the world and the mess that were making

Can't give up

And hope God will intercede

Come on back

Imagine that we could get it together

Stand up for what we need to be

Cause crime won't save our feet or hungry child

Can't lay down and hope no miracles change things

So lift up your eyes

Lift up your heart

Singing mercy will we overcome this

Oh one by one could we turn it around

Maybe carry on just a little bit longer

And I try to give you what you need

Me and you and you and you

Just want to be free yeah

But you see all the world is just as we've made it

And until we got a new world

Got to say that love is not a whisper or a weakness

No love is strong

So we got to get together yeah

Gotta get gotta get gotta get

Til there is no reason

To fight

Mercy will we overcome this

Oh one by one could we turn it around

Maybe carry on just a little bit longer

And I try to give you what you need

Yeah...

Ah...

Oh...

Yeah...

Mercy will we overcome this

Oh we come to far to turn it around

Oh and asked too much to be a little bit stronger

But I want to give you what you need

Mercy what will become of us

Oh one by one could we turn it around

Maybe carry on just a little bit longer

And I try to give you what you need

The New Religion

A friend sent this to me this morning and I loved reading it!
And now I send it out to you.....across the oceans of the world.....

The New Religion of the 21st Century

On the surface of the world right now there is war and violence
and things seem dark
But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something
else is happening underground
An inner revolution is taking place and certain individuals
are being called to a higher light
It is a silent revolution
From the inside out
From the ground up

It is time for me to reveal myself
I am an embedded agent of a secret, undercover
Clandestine Global operation
A spiritual conspiracy
We have sleeper cells in every nation on the planet

You won't see us on the T.V.
You won't read about us in the newspaper
You won't hear about us on the radio

We don't seek any glory
We don't wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes
Colors and styles

Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country
and culture of the world
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms and villages,
tribes and remote islands

You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice
We go undercover
We remain behind the scenes
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done

Occasionally we spot each other in the street
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way so no one will notice

During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront at night is where the real work takes place

Some call us the 'Conscious Army'
We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy
Our orders from the Central Command
The Spiritual Intelligence Agency

We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking
Poems
Hugs
Music
Photography
Movies
Kind words
Smiles
Meditation and prayer
Dance
Social activism
Websites
Blogs
Random acts of kindness

We each express ourselves in our own unique ways
with our own unique gifts and talents

'Be the change you want to see in the world'
That is the motto that fills our hearts
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power
of all the oceans combined

Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to come

Love is the new religion of the 21st century

You don't have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it

It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings

Be the change you want to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you

We are now recruiting
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have....
All are welcome...
The door is open

-Brian Piergrossi
(From the book 'The Big Glow')