In this time of fear and hate, I choose love. I awoke this morning to the sounds of a Facebook video that made my chest tighten and turned my stomach inside out. The fear of “what might be” was once again an unwelcome visitor to my soul. At that moment I chose love.

I Choose LOVE” has been my meditation mantra for a while now. But today, the importance of love and the struggle to practice it with EVERYONE blinded me, literally. The sheets of tears flowing from my eyes stopped me in my tracks. I’ve been practicing a loving attitude towards the beggar at the stop sign, the family member who pushes my buttons and the friends for whom I wish joy, but EVERYONE?

For most of my life I have found God and experienced grace through nature. Nature was created by the same loving energy that created people, all people. It was the love I experienced in nature that inspired me to expand my practice of love to beggars and irritating people. This morning the voice said it’s time to expand that loving circle. It’s time to love all of God’s creations, even the ones that cause fear and the ensuing emotions of hate and distrust.

Lest you think me noble, think again. This loving practice is a selfish practice. When I hate I feel fear. When I feel fear my chest tightens and my stomach becomes a knot. At those times I am not a nice person to be with and I draw unpleasant people and events into my life. Oh, how much better I feel and how much better life is when I choose love.

This does NOT mean that I ignore or agree with the fear and hate being spewed into the world. It DOES mean that I emit love and grace. Only light can rid us of darkness. Today and everyday I choose love. I send loving thoughts and energy to EVERYONE that they may know love. Only then will they be able to release their fear.

I don’t have answers to all of the hows or whys for our future. That I leave in the hands of a loving energy greater than I. Today I take my first steps on a difficult path, one worth the struggle, because, I choose love, today and everyday.