This morning Steve and I lingered over our morning meditations which prompted a discussion of love at first sight. I’ve always loved Valentines Day. Not for the slurpy, silly, market driven reasons. Not just a romantic notion, but a day for unabashed thoughts of love. I’ve enjoyed making paper valentines with my children, singing at nursing homes, and eating with friends at a favorite restaurant which donated profits to the local food bank. One year my children and I were on a particularly tight budget, but we considered it important to eat together and decided to celebrate the day at an inexpensive sandwich shop in the neighborhood. As we were about to enter the restaurant a homeless gentleman approached me and said, “I don’t want to scare you or your children, but I was wondering if you might have a little extra money so I can get a hamburger.” I fell in love with his face at first sight. In his eyes I saw gentleness and trust. My children hung out with him while I went inside to place his order. After I handed him his take-out Valentine’s supper the kids and I had a wonderful, simple meal together and a great conversation about ways to love ourselves and those who come into our lives. I’ve known love at first sight with a puppy, a cottage along a creek, a soul mate, and several newborn babies. On a few occasions I’ve even fallen in love with the first glimpse of my own reflection in a mirror.
Love at first sight as I generally think of it, is a precious gift and memory. But today I’m looking more deeply into the idea of “first sight”. Or what it means to see something or someone as if for the first time. I seem to be naturally gifted at seeing the world this way, and for this I am grateful. Even so, there are times when I’ve almost missed the opportunity to fall in love and I’m sure, way too many times I’ve completely missed what was right in front of me.
The first week of February we drove up to D.C. to spend a few days with Adam & Kat. It was enough just enjoying their company and remembering how much fun it is to get an all day metro pass and go this way and that, without much of a plan. We saw Julia Child’s kitchen at the Museum of American History as well as Michelle Obama’s portrait, freshly hung. Lovely! We went to the top of the Washington Monument on an unusually clear day that had me humming “on a clear day you can see forever.” We ate hotdogs from a street vendor and took a nap under a tree on the mall. We went to a Farmer’s Market before attending All Souls Church and spent an afternoon at the National Arboretum. Lest I forget, we made chili and screamed at the wretched outcome of the Super Bowl. None of us are big Super Bowl enthusiasts, but it seemed like a good idea. The chili was magnificent! Yes, all this would have been plenty, but the icing on the cake came on our last day. And this is the kind of love at first sight I’ve been thinking about.
As our Christmas gift Adam & Kat had purchased tickets for Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theater’s 50th Anniversary performance at the Kennedy Center. Opening night would also feature Sweet Honey in the Rock. Can it get any better? Well, it did! I had not been in the Kennedy Center for years. I have fond memories of times there as a young girl, but as we took our seats I saw it as if for the first time. Such beauty and excitement. The ceiling shone like an exquisite brooch. Intricate and dainty and vibrating light. The colors of walls and carpet were deep and rich. But the greatest beauty belonged to the gathering crowd. There was an energy of celebration, almost like inaugural festivities were moving into the next phase. Families like us were dressed up and ready to go. It was a windy, below-freezing walk from even the closest parking space, so even the people in furs looked perfectly readied for the evening. I saw all of this with new eyes. I saw the people and the light and the color. I saw a dream coming true, a hope emerging, a potential for life together. I watched a mother with her young daughter, whispering bits of information to help the child understand the meaning beneath the movement of the dancers. There are simply no words that convey what it’s like to watch these dancers interpret the story of a people. Of all people of faith who struggle and endure and emerge. I saw lace-edged handkerchiefs dab small, slow tears. Love at first, 0pen-hearted, wide-eyed sight!
Moonbaby's Meanderings 