Last week God allowed me to witness a beautiful moment. It was a gift to see the love and happiness that enveloped the room when Roberta and Jack were reunited. The room was filled to the brim with the detritus of life, with a television blaring its message and the awkwardness of a stranger now living in their home to care for them. But the spark that occurred when they saw each other caused a cloud of beauty to envelope the room and obliterate all other distractions. You could almost here The Flamingos singing “I only have eyes for you, dear….”
I felt my heart open and I thought it would break. I thought it would break from witnessing so much unexpected beauty. I thought it would break from the sadness of knowing Roberta and Jack would someday know a permanent parting and it broke because I knew I would have to suffer that same parting one day myself.

Who has not found the heaven below
Will fail of it above.
God’s residence is next to mine,
His furniture is love.
Emily Dickinson
Love is a state of consciousness. Love is a great skill and can be mastered with great effort and enthusiasm. When it is mastered, every loving relationship grows richer and more romantic with the passage of time. You can be more tenderly in love during the second part, or the third part of your life than you were in your youth.