Week 4 Wrap Up: Be like Wall-e and Find One Green Thing to Nurture.

These blogs usually come in a flood of inspiration, and when they do, they flow from my brain to my hands faster than I can type. This week I have struggled. How could I top last week’s wrap up on unconditional love? I’ve thought about it all week, and the fact that we didn’t make as much progress as I had hoped for on the second half of our “unconditional love studies” left me with very little to be inspired about. But, I have learned that given time, the inspiration always comes.

And there it was, right at the forefront of my emotions. My dear friend of 33 years, who was scheduled for a radical mastectomy today, provided the source of inspiration and reminded me that our treasured friendships which are so easily and often neglected are one of our most readily available sources of giving and receiving unconditional love.

She called me a few hours before the surgery with a last minute request pertaining to her daughter. It was a BIG ONE and it took approximately 5 seconds to respond to her with my one word response, “YES!” Although I did qualify my response by saying that I needed to discuss it with my better half. I called her back one minute later with his 2 word response, “of course”. Maybe husbands who love wives unconditionally, transfer that love to their wives’ “unconditionally loved friends”. Just a theory.

I am not making myself or my hubby a hero. The hero in this story spent 10 hours on the operating table today enduring what no woman should have to endure. I was, however, simply and profoundly reminded how effortless our decisions and actions are when it comes to those we love unconditionally.

Interestingly, our anger, resentment and judgment are often as effortless. We fly off the handle, over react, judge and criticize without a second thought, and we feel “justified” while unleashing our wrath. The tougher challenge for us human is transferring the same type of thoughtless, selfless love we so readily bestow on our loved ones to those who are unknown to us—the strangers we encounter who we judge instantaneously by the clothes they wear, the way they look, their social class, the neighborhood they live in or some other superficial quality like their culture, race, or religions. When we transfer anger and judgment instead of love and acceptance, we lower the energy vibration around us. What we all really want is to be loved.

Tonight, I was fortunate to have a few hours alone with my son to watch one of his favorite movies, Wall E. I highly recommend it. The main character, Wall-e, is a lonely robot left on an earth that has been abandoned by humans. Wall-e has a directive, to collect and compact junk into junk bricks which are used to build things on this forsaken planet formerly known as Earth.

As he moves through his daily routine, completely and utterly alone, he saves a few treasures from the trash for his own use and enjoyment. Interestingly, his favorite items are a video tape of the musical, Hello Dolly, and a single green seedling of a plant which he keeps in a boot. As far as we can tell, it’s the only plant left on earth and he nurtures it carefully. Every so often, he pauses from the routine of his day to be inspired as the stars of the musical sing his favorite lines from the theme song, “all we want is to be loved our whole life long”.

I don’t know how to solve this love problem. It is epidemic. I just know that one conscious move in a positive direction per day by each human being on this planet will add up to a big difference over time.

So, take inventory. If you are lucky enough to have a few priceless friends and loved ones in your life, surprise them with an outreach of your most heartfelt appreciation and gratitude. And then take it one step farther.

In every situation, with every person you meet, look for the “one green thing” to appreciate and nuture, and together, we can watch the world grow in unconditional love.