Let your Love Flow

Let your love flow. This is the videoclip I woke up with this morning. As I was finishing my mixture of dissolved instant coffee in almond milk, I was reviewing my emails and one of them was from my friend Jerry. He often sends me youtube videos with timely songs. A baby boomer, he used to look like most of the guys who sing from the 70s. His offering from this morning was Let Your Love Flow, by the Bellamy Brothers (with a Spanish lesson in the form of sub-titles). My friend knows me well. He is aware that I am trying to expand my level of Spanish as a third language, so naturally I was moved by this gesture which put a huge smile on my face.

I took the lyrics seriously and in anticipation of Valentine's Day, I felt inspired to create a playlist on my phone with songs from my childhood with love as the main theme. A few months ago, I figured out how to create a playlist on my phone, not an easy feat for a digital migrant like me. It was so fun and satisfying to see songs pop up as suggestions and which I had not heard in a while, it was quite addictive in fact ! One of those moments when your mind hears "more, more !" as an echo. How can we describe the feeling when we hear a song we haven't heard in decades and we used to be fond of ? "Oh, that's the title !", or "I didn't know so-and-so was the singer !" Jubilation. Yes, that's it. Pure jubilation. Ecstasy. Lightness of being. Love for the moment and for humanity.

It gave me such a boost I started a laundry immediately, the second in two days and the third in less than a week, which is unheard of for me (since university days, I have been notorious to go more than 2 weeks without doing any... To say it differently, I don't do laundry when the laundry basket is full but when I have nothing else to wear...). I also brought upstairs the mini trampoline I had gotten for my kids during the pandemic and that has been gathering dust in a succession of garages for almost three years. My soul is suddenly bouncing around ! 

How can we expand, use our own spiritual space more, let our energy flow ? Channel our creative minds, enter in synergies with people, exchange ideas and stories... Yesterday was one of those moments at the House of Enchantments. I offered my first retreat. It was on storytelling, with the three recipients of an award to incorporate the written word in psychotherapy in our department at UC Davis. I am honored to have been the supervisor in charge since its inauguration in 2022, and I wanted to offer a self-care, reflective half-day dedicated to sharing the insights so far, and the future directions, with a meditation, tea and snacks by the fire, fun writing prompt and an object of our choosing that represents us the most to get to know each other more. I must say I felt like an old, wrinkled flip-flop at times with these three younger women who have experienced so much all over the world and in life already and who seem to still have the life ahead of them. I felt humbled and inspired, now more a crone, almost entering the stage of generativity, and wondering how I could let some wisdom pierce through my words, and also my compassion and admiration for my residents transpire through this journey we took on together. By the end of the day, absorbing their enthusiasm and gratitude, I felt younger. From where I was sitting, I could admire a cherished piece made by Kristof (see above) hung hours before the event and found in a bin during my most recent garage cleaning that made me aches for three days... Yet another "heart-art" from one of my loves and that I never get tired of.

As anticipated, the day didn't bring as many responses or clear solutions as questions... and these questions continue to erupt this morning, like the fire in the fireplaces we all tried to rekindle and enjoyed. So I seriously have other ideas for two other blogs, because as women, mothers, and women and mothers who once were children, teenagers, trainees, there are so many untold stories, unsung poems that are stuck within us. And I happen to love words when they are meant to create bridges instead of dividing. It is time to unlock this love potential. The only way I think I can be more loving while in this journey on earth is to do more self-expression and use my abilities as vehicles for that love: writing, hosting, organizing, teaching, caring. And yes, bouncing with joy on my mini-trampoline calling my name from my dining room.

What helps you let your love flow ?

Our storyteller crew, from right to left:

Sandy, Simone, Estelle, Caroline