Love

Love. It is the only thing that matters. It is the only thing that covers all offenses. It creates miracles. I have been covered in love all my life, and even more so recently. I was blessed to witness the union of two good friends, whom I consider my brother and sister, in a traditional Yoruba wedding ceremony. The colors and patterns of the wedding party's garments were vibrant and beautiful and the rituals included everyone in attendance, enabling us to both give our blessings and support the couple. The best part was to see so many people whom I've seen supporting them at other events gathered together to celebrate love.

I was able to spend time catching up with friends and ones who have played their parts in encouraging me and supporting me on my trod to the throne. It warmed my heart that so many were as excited to see me as I was to see them. I felt loved, and that is a wonderful feeling. Just being invited to a wedding is love because the bride and the groom are telling you that you are special enough to share in their very special day. When you are invited to a wedding, do your best to go, even if you don't believe in marriage, the couple does, and they want you there to share in their joy. Now that's love.

Going home can always be stressful for many reasons. This time was stressful because of the short length of my stay and trying to see everyone who is important to me. That's a good stress though. Of course, not everyone I wanted to see wanted to see me. Some people don't know how to love or accept love. They return it with hate, or pain, or just plain indifference. There's a saying that goes, "To the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world." I think people should keep that in mind when someone wants to talk to them or spend time with them. If you don't want to have anything to do with them, you should let them know so that they can move forward. I've learned that you don't have to have love reciprocated in order to give it. I can love from afar. There are people whom I love and they don't even know it. I love people I've never even met. So love is never lost, no matter how hard some try to shine it away.

In my trod to the throne, one of my tasks has been to learn to let go of hurt, grudges, mischief, and jealousy. I have had to learn to L.I.G., Let It Go. But what I've found about letting it go is that you can't do it by forgetting, or even by just forgiving. What one needs to do is to commit to loving the person who has wronged you. This doesn't mean that you have to do nice things for them all of the time, or even spend a lot of time with them. It just means praying for their well being and that they receive wisdom and guidance, and remembering their good qualities. Love is easy to show; a smile, listening, honesty, small kindness fill the world with love. Imagine if we did that with everyone we encounter instead of yelling, fighting, or hating. With all that's going on in the world today, it can all be solved with love. We are made of, from, and by love. It is an innate quality within us all. Let it out. Love.