Teach Me to Love

I've always liked Sheryl Crow. She's got this interesting, raspy, soulful voice. And I like her lyrics, as I like them in her song, "Detours" :

Mother can you hold me together

It's so dark and I'm losing my way

It took all of these detours to find love

But when I did it just faded away



Now what do I do with this sweet love of mine

Do I give it away, and hope someday I'll find

Someone half as awake as the moon and the stars

Mother teach me to love
With a paper thin heart



Nicely done, Sheryl. And although I think she's talking mostly of romantic love (she usually does), I see this song in another way.

Each day, I do have to teach myself to love everyone I come across. When I say "love," I mean showing kindness and goodwill to others.

That's easier said than done. It's difficult for this girl to break a smile at 6:30 am when I am not a morning person what-so-ever. (I loaaaaaaaathhhhe the morning).

But I want to put forth the effort of thinking of others, cause frankly, I get so bored and exhausted of only thinking of myself. Again, difficult when we are trained to be selfish beings.

To loosely tie this into the lyrics of the song, often I take detours to find happiness--ways that I think will make me happy, at least. Often times, we overlook the fact that we can create our own happiness in the here and now. To "love with a paper thin heart" is to open your heart, and to love life in the present, not a fantasy, or "detour" in the future.

And what is love? I believe love is to be unselfish, to live for others; therefore, I believe my happiness can be found in living for others the best I can. (to try to live the way God informs us to live, for humankind, and not just ourselves).

Was that a stretch? Maybe. But it was an avenue I wanted to take. Maybe all these hearts I'm seeing around me (i.e. decorations for Valentine's Day) are getting me to contemplate the idea of love...and true love.

How about you chew on that, instead of one of those "tiny, heart-shaped antacids." Thanks, Jim Gaffigan.