Live life to love.

I'm currently reading a book containing numerous annotations of life and lessons various individuals have learned. One essay in particular, James Kullander recounted the experiences he had with his wife during her battle with cancer. I felt positively affected by his final reflections concerning the account, regardless of the painful nature of all that had happened.

Here I quote:

"A part of me died with Wanda, a part I was glad to see go: my resistance to love. I'd often put distance between myself and others as a way to keep from feeling trapped or getting hurt. I'd delivered wearying criticisms of people I thought were less than perfect, as if I were any better than them. Living like that had been a long, hard battle with many casualties, the most wounded sometimes being me. I think that during all those silent meditation sessions; in all the time I'd spent listening to the wisdom of renowned teachers, theologians, and sages; in all the millions of words I'd read in profound spiritual tracts, I'd been trying to learn how to love. But no amount of meditation or yoga or studies of scriptures could have given me that. Wanda's death put me in touch with one of the highest orders of human existence: to love others as though we are all dying all the time, because the plain truth of the matter is that we are. For a long time I didn't know how to articulate this new feeling, even to myself. Then a couple years ago I heard k.d. lang sing a Leonard Cohen song in which love is described as "a cold and broken hallelujah." And I thought, "Yes, that's it." In this love I found rest from a sort of homesickness that had afflicted me all my life."

James Kullander's insights really helped me to realize that love truly is what makes life fulfilling. We can do many things throughout our life, searching for what we think might be what we're looking for, but what we need to learn is to love others. With a sincere, undying compassion and sympathy for all around us. To give fully of ourselves and serve everyone.
(Hey! Isn't that the basis of what the Book of Mormon teaches us? Charity never faileth!)
Anyways, I know I purposefully try to distance myself from others. I avoid attachment because I view everything as inevitably fleeting, passing, impermanent . Everything is so temporary to me that I don't want to risk being hurt, losing something I love. So in fear, I am overly cautious. However, in reading Kullander's account, I have been inspired to love more fully! And I wanted to share with you!