40 Days Till 40 (Day 36)

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE…?

My daughter and I were watching a DVD of the movie, Cirque Du Soleil:  Worlds Away.  Basically a compilation of various existing Cirque du Soleil shows, the film, although somewhat slow, was a visual treat.  Unfortunately, though, the full artistry and athleticism of the routines didn’t necessarily translate to my smaller TV screen—as evidenced by the fact that my daughter would become increasingly chatty during the music-only parts (translation:  most of the movie).  She did, however perk up when the film featured scenes and songs from “Beatles Love”.  At one point she started singing along (so proud!).

“All you need is love…and food and shelter and clothes!”

Wait, what?

I asked her about what she’d just sung. 

“Mom, love is not all you need.  You also need food and shelter and clothes.”

I responded with a gasp of dismay. Who had taught her such a thing?  Was it I?  Was it her father?  Was it society?  How on earth could an 8-year-old who obsessively watches Disney princess movies not believe in the romantic notion of Love (with a capital “L”)?  She still believes in mermaids and Santa Claus and unicorns, for goodness sake!  It actually made me quite sad.

I told her that yes, those are indeed things that are needed to survive, but that Love (and that song) is about more than just survival.  It’s about shared affection.  It’s about seeking happiness.  It’s about feeling supported emotionally.  We do need Love, whether from our friends, our family, our significant others or even ourselves.  Heck, I’d even take the Love of a pet.  Love can help us face our darkest days and pull us out of life’s quagmire. 

It’s funny, isn’t it, that I could still believe in Love?  Even through my most emotionally traumatic times, I’ve held on to the notion that there was power in Love.  I've had no doubt that Love existed and could cure so many ills.  While I yearn to find Romantic Love again, I know that I’ve got some pretty d*mned awesome friends.  They show me time and time again that I am not alone.  I am thankful to have them. 

And yet, I am not naïve about Love.  While I want to believe in Hollywood’s cinematic ideas of happily ever after, I am still realistic.  No, Johnny Depp will not be noticing me in a coffee shop and stalking me until I go out with him, but hey, who wants a stalker?  Ha. 

I hope that my daughter never gives up on the idea of Love.  How else will she understand the value of compassion and sympathy?

Until tomorrow, LOVElies….

*For 2/8/14.  Why are there not more hours in the day?