My Love Story.

A few weeks ago, my brother wedded a gorgeous young woman. It was such a joy for me to be a part of their beautiful ceremony and their love story.

On the weekend my brother wedded, I got to understand just how big my heart is, as I saw myself surrounded by so many people who have laid a claim to my heart.

Then I realised that in that hotel suite that weekend, surrounded by so much love and friendship, my love story could be started, but with only the first few chapters…

My family, both nuclear and extended as well as the people who love us…

Some close friends and people who I have admired over the years…

All under the same roof, rejoicing as we celebrated my brother’s love.

There were people who were physically present and there were others whose presence were felt!

My eyes were opened and I saw the script of my love story.

I saw my heart threatening to burst, but it didn’t. It only expanded and it will keep expanding as I love my way through this life.

That weekend, I was reminded of so many things and I felt awe, amazement, gratitude, joy, humility and nostalgia…

One of the highlights is that it brought to my mind a clear image of my own love story and all the parts of the puzzle that is that picture.

A picture of the loves I have known and felt.

A story of all the loves I have given and received.

A story of the love of God.

A canvas of the love of family and friends.

A story of the love of men and of women.

A story of the love of the young and the old.

A narrative of the love of people I know and the ones I don’t know.

A story of the love of people who know me and love me and the ones who love me without me knowing.

A story of the love of the ones who hold the keys to my heart.

You see, my love story will be a book of thousands of pages, and I realised that the people I spent time with on this trip will only be in the first chapters. Some of them will appear again and again in subsequent chapters, but there were so many others whose names will appear in the middle and in the end.

I am slowly approaching 40, and I have been blessed to be the principal character in one of the greatest love story that will ever be told. a love story that will blow your mind when it is told.

In that love story, I have given my heart to so many people. I have been lavished with love by so many others and my heart has never stopped beating hard in appreciation and thankfulness.

You see, when you love as hard and as completely as I do, when you are loved as much and as unconditionally as I am, you would know and when you know, you would glow in that knowledge.

I have loved totally and stupidly.

without holding back.

I have loved with everything in me.

blindly and with my two eyes wide open.

I have loved and I have been loved in return.

The life I have lived so far has been a miraculous story of loving and been loved. And I am proud of and happy with everyone and everything that has been a part of this story.

Don’t get me wrong; life has dealt me some difficult hands.

I have known pain and disappointment.

I have experienced loss and tragedies.

My heart has known frustration and betrayal.

Yes, love have stung me too.

I have been burnt a few times by love.

The thorns of love has occasionally pierced my flesh as well as my soul.

But that has not stopped from staying completely mesmerised by the scent of love. All of the sting and thorns pales in the light of the love that God has generously shed abroad in my heart. Whatever negatives I have seen in life is nothing when looked at in the face of my love story. And all of it have brought me to a place where I am even more appreciative and thankful for all that I have received and all that I have been graced to give.

Oh! How I have been blessed to have known such loves and to have this life to live.

My heart is still open and wide, and even though I have recorded so many love encounters, I know that there are even more amazing ones in the future.

I know my heart will love more and more and then some more.

If you’re reading this, that means that your name will probably appear somewhere in the book. And whatever your place or position has been in my love story, I have absolutely no regrets. I know I would do “us” all over again.

I have also finally come to admit it to myself and to the world that I love good shoes, cashew nuts, ice creams and chocolate more than I might ever love some humans. And this too will appear in the book where my love story is told.

I love love. To love. And to be loved. I am shamelessly and unapologetically in love with love and the feeling is totally mutual.

If you ask me what I want to become in life or what my dreams and aspirations are, I will without any hesitation and with every boldness tell you that I simply want to become Love.

That’s all.

Nothing more.

I just want to become Love.

 To be love and to give love .

I want to be consumed by and with love.

I am giving my heart away to being with people and doing things that consume me with love.

Anything else is a complete waste of time, energy and resources.

Life is too short for anything less than feeling and spreading love.

So, raise your glasses with me and let’s drink to love. To the love of God, of family and friends, and of good shoes, cashew nuts and chocolates.

And did I mention the love of good shoes (high heels)…? Yes, I did… But, I wanted to say it again..

I hope love colours your world. I hope your heart is big enough to love fully and accept love in its fulness.

The truth is that everything that comes from a place of love is always worth doing. Love gives us wings to fly.

And until we truly learn how to love and accept to be loved, most things will be a struggle.

#TME