Every Level Seeks it's Own

I have heard that statement for years and see it in action all of the time these days. This morning on my coffee run, I saw a young girl with long blue hair pushing a shopping cart in the center where the local Starbucks resides. She had on a black skirt with white dots and immediately reminded me of the young kids that you see all over New Orleans, dirty but with an interesting sense of style that belongs only to the Crescent City. My heart has always gone out to those kids, but for some reason BC (before cancer) Ran has always held a huge judgement of them out here on this coast. I grabbed my latte and headed back out to my truck in time to see that she had met up with a young man I am assuming to be her boyfriend as she was holding his had. After a moment it was clear that she was actually helping him "shoot up". While this act is sad and my heart bleeds for young addicts, I saw for the first time a since of beauty in their act. Her helping him. Them in this thing together. I said a silent prayer for them and drove home giving thanks for my own relationship all of the way. Going through cancer has been the hardest challenge of my life and I am blessed that I did not do it alone.

Yesterday, Ken and I did our annual volunteer day together for the Long Beach AIDS Walk. It has been a financially very difficult year for the foundation and it's Director Gary Bowie had been concerned about having to either shut the doors after the walk due to a lack of earlier participation. This year at the last minute people started signing up and by close of online sign ups we had raised over 60,000 and raised an additional 20,000 at the walk. I know my heart swell when listing to the numbers yesterday. Our level sought itself out and as always came thru.

I see the love of people coming together to help one another everywhere. Couples shopping together, watching neighbors help each other pull in trash cans. On youtube.com you can see the "It Gets Better" project video's aimed at bullied youth. Our world is full of love and the evidence of it surrounds us. Maybe if we would turn off the news, open our hearts and take a walk we would all find it. Watching the world without judgement has helped me see it. Even when Ken and I argue (we are still far from being a perfect couple), I know that there is love there. Telling your partner what you need even with your voice raised is a statement that you wish to remain in the love. (I have to remind myself of that when I want to bat him upside of the head, which, I have never done. I did drive over his foot once, but that was purely by accident and is the subject for another time).