I was staring at a sprinkler the other day while struggling to get rid of an earworm. But I was singing the wrong lyrics. Instead of singing ‘I’ve got love like an ocean’, I was singing ‘I’ve got love like a fountain’…and it got me thinking — Why a fountain? Why can’t love be like a sprinkler? (I guess I was staring at the sprinkler for too long)
The thought suddenly seemed insignificant, just like the sprinkler. But I had some time to ponder on it and I realized that it was not.
Love isn’t just another emotion. It does not tangle itself only with the feeling of affection and attachment, which — in magical moments — births butterflies in your stomach, begets warmth to your soul or assures you a sense of belonging in this world.
It is way denser than that.
Love is a lifestyle — the more you exercise it, the more it grows, and the more it grows, the more you are captivated by its beauty and power — just like the grass that grows into a beautiful kind of green when the sprinklers daily kiss the leaves with water soaked in tenderness and joy.
The mother who waves you the ‘have a good day’ as you head out, the little kid across the street who smiles at you, the kind young man who offers you a seat on the bus, the waiter who serves you well, the friend who’s there to give you a warm hug when you are in desperate need of one, the boss who appreciates your creativity at work, the father who packs you lunch with a cute little note on it, the cab driver who waits for you patiently at your doorstep, the woman at the supermarket who never fails to say hello as you walk in, the stranger on the road who gives you a compliment…
We encounter love in so many different ways every single day and yet fail to recognize it most of the time. Instead of embracing and reciprocating it, we tend to resist it, run away from it rather, because who has the time to notice?
Love is deeply tangled in these small things.
It is subtle, patient, kind, innocent, hopeful, encouraging, enduring, and without pride — kinda like the sprinkler. 🙂
