An Invitation Of Love
Author: Rachel Hunsell
To give and receive love is to be human, for love is the pulse of humanity and the essence of our relationships, including the one we have with ourselves. When was the last time you took a moment to look within and truly express love for yourself, breathed deeply and said ‘In this moment, I love all of who I am: the challenges, the joys, the grief, the gratitudes. I am who I was and who I will become, and I love me still.’?
Leaning on the words of fellow survivor Erin Jacobson, “There is enough harshness surrounding us, we would do well to make room for more kindness within us.”
This is our invitation of Love to you. It is one of rediscovery within your heart, of creating space to give grace for moments when grief challenged your sense of self, and of choosing to love the becoming of who you are today and who you will be tomorrow.
Photo: Pixabay, anncapictures
When we give and receive love, it’s as if we drink from the stream of life itself. It’s what binds us to each other, to ourselves and to loved ones gone before us. It is the pathway to understanding, to empathy, and to peace. And, it is what brought us together as a TAPS Family.
As a family of survivors, we know that where there is love, there is inevitable grief. To give and receive love is life’s most grand adventure and deepest valley, a painful darkness and a holy sanctuary. But, love, still, is our truest guide. When we say that Love Lives On, we feel bound to our lost loved ones and to our fellow survivors. On this journey of grief we look to our TAPS Family beside us and realize that this can be our pathway back to love. For love always finds its way home to our hearts when we are willing to let it in and then share it with others.
Give and receive love today, tomorrow and for all your days to come. Let love find its way to you.
I feel the fire burning
I know the tide is turning our way, though the skies might be gray
In the distance I can see blue, the sun has got to break through someday
And all that's left to say is Love will find a way
Love Will Find A Way ~ by Mike Love
Rachel Hunsell, Program Manager for Outdoor Engagement, develops, implements and supports programming in the outdoors across the TAPS network, including our backcountry Expeditions. Rachel connects survivors with the healing power of the outdoors and encourages participants to reconnect with their inner strength by creating emotionally safe and understanding environments. As a survivor honoring the life and death of her brother, Marine Lance Cpl J. Kyle Price, she understands the valleys and mountaintops we experience along the journey after loss.
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