A series of essays....
 |
| LIGHT BREAKS THROUGH FROM THE HEAVENS WHILE DRIVING ON THE RING OF KERRY: CAHERDANIEL, COUNTY KERRY, IRELAND, 2018 |
....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
FRIENDSHIPS mean the world to us. Friends keep us feeling alive in so many ways. It's much more than knowing that they have our backs; it’s understanding why we will always have theirs. Friends keep us motivated and being the best that we can be....even though, some of our escapades show how naughty and fun-loving we actually are. This alone can make us feel tremendously alive.
You can be yourself around your friends without a false face or pretext. Rather, showing genuine respect for each other with smiles, laughter, dreams, and memories thrown in for good measure.
The best part about being a true friend is being there when your friend needs a helping hand; a listening ear. Perhaps a hug and shared tear or two denotes a unique understanding between you that nobody else is able to fully comprehend. Genuine warmth of words from the heart shared over the phone when you are living many miles apart can be like a full-blown hug to someone in need of your compassion and strength.
My friends do mean the world to me. And, they know that I will always be there for them....in good times and in sad times, as well.
Feel alive! Virtually hug a friend today and let them know how much you love them. I just did and, even though the tears do fall....we both truly know how important and comforting our friendship is to one another!
LOVE isn’t a word anyone of us should take lightly or for granted. Love is the gift of a strong feeling of affection and concern towards all fellow human beings. Love is about family, whether they are blood relatives or not. It is sharing a special affinity together due to respect for similar ideas and goals. Love is having a close friendship or relationship with others.
Having a strong sexual attraction towards someone often leads to physical expression of your love for them. To be swept off your feet by love and be able to bestow on one another the same strong affection and concern is a feeling to treasure for a lifetime.
The affectionate utterance of calling someone ‘a love’ is a term of endearment, sweet talk, and a sign of the tenderness and fondness you may have for them. Being human means we often display an intense and emotional attachment to something, as to a colorful, handmade quilt passed down from a cherished grandmother, or an adorable ‘fur baby’ (pet) who shares your domain and heart, as well. Think of a special place where you’d like to be at this very moment; a particular country, city, or favorite beach with sun-drenched sand tickling your toes as you stroll along the shoreline.
Love is feeling a devotion to something or someone whom you deem as a higher or greater part of yourself as God or a god.
Buddhism, often known as a Path of Freedom, could equally be called the religion of love. One of the most rewarding spiritual practices is to cultivate the ability to bring love into all aspects of our life and to all the people we encounter. This entails learning how to include love’s presence while we speak to others, are in conflict with others, and are living with others. Often, this can be a daunting task, but, if achieved, the benefits of loving kindness are immeasurable.
HOPE, in reality, is another way of revealing how much trust and confidence you have in someone else and how this unshaken faith may be a determining factor in the positive aspect or outcome of your life. Hope is the longing or desire for something accompanied by the belief in the possibility of it successfully coming to pass. It is having faith in the possibilities of eventually achieving our dreams and desires for things we expect, long for, and aspire to. Hope is understanding that there is light at the end of the tunnel and soon, the light will, hopefully, shine down upon us.
Whether we believe it or not, hope is a part of everyone’s life. We all hope for something and it’s an inherent part of being human. It defines what we want in the future. Hope is part of the personal development regarding our lives that we all have running inside our heads on a constant basis.
If you want something badly enough or deeply desire something to happen, you must have hope and faith in all of the factors that lead up to the final moment of truth. To have hope is to want an outcome that makes your life better in some way. Hope can not only help make a difficult scenario more tolerable, but it can improve our lives exponentially due to imagining a better future as it motivates us to take the direct steps to make it all happen.
 |
| A MOMENT OF ZEN |
Friendship, Love, and Hope are obtainable and available to everyone with an open heart and an open mind. If we have the freedom to choose the path we take in this lifetime and we incorporate friendship, love, and hope into this soul-searching itinerary, this trek will be our personal reality; our life fulfilling understanding of truth and faith in what is to come and what can and does shape our future.
The only myth is that we do not have the freedom to follow our individual path filled with goodness, kindness, and an abundance of love. With free will and acceptance, we do!
The outcome of next week’s presidential election will determine whether or not we, as Americans, wish to improve our present lives by imagining a better future for everyone! If we strive to be the best that we can be, have a close and personal attachment to helping others obtain happiness, and truly want something badly enough, deeply enough, to make it happen—than a vote for the Biden/Harris ticket will help make it a reality.
Let’s wipe-out the myth that the present administration consists of our friends who love us and hope to make our lives better. This idea could not be further from the truth, whether we choose to admit it or not. These past four years have more than proven this clear and present falsehood. Instead, let us adhere to the reality of a better outcome and a good life for all of the people.
PLEASE VOTE! Wear a mask when in public and take good care of yourselves and others.
Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
Photo Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
