only the moon understands the beauty of love

There’s a John Lennon song with a line something like, “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” I think he actually took that from someone else… but, I suppose it gets re-used because it’s true.

This is a time of year that always muddies my brain a bit. Even though it has been that way for five years, and one might expect I acquire a certain amount of tolerance… or at least wisdom through which I can loose the mud. Except… it doesn’t happen like that. Because… life happens.

There are a lot of those proverbial balls in the air right now. Most of them good things… but at day’s end, I’m just too tired to think about catching them… or throwing them. But the clock keeps on ticking and the calendar pages turn. And life… well… well… that thing life.

The last few days has offered news of grief. Losses of people I knew somewhat, or only knew of through the sadness expressed by the mourner. But… having had a recent loss in my family, it doesn’t require much to summon the empathy.

Queen Elizabeth was quoted by her grandson recently in New Zealand, saying that the price of love is grief. It struck me, as we choose to grieve… because love is worth it. Absolutely. Positively. Without a second of a question.

And do not these moments remind us of the value of love itself? That we shouldn’t wait until these unhappy days to do or say or think the things we always wish we would have… but that impetus fades. When life gets distracted and muddied by long hours and things that are so important like bills and stupid celebrity brou ha ha.

But. No. Not at all.

Because the clock spins around the numbers again, ticking away, losing opportunities of precious moments. To love. To live a life we love. And it should seem so obvious. But it doesn’t. Even when we have collective sighs over Facebook. We just go back to scrolling through the minutiae and complaining about the fact the heavens want to release snow.

Not that it is easy to live in that conscious, aware of the fragility… but… sometimes we should make those plans with a recognition of what is whirring past. Not to cling to illogically, but to… just look up and see the moon and know it is shining brilliantly for that fleeting night. To sit with friends and see that love while it is present in the air between us.