Love builds up the broken wall and straightens the crooked path.
Love keeps the stars in the firmament and imposes rhythm on the ocean tides.
Each of us is created of it and I suspect each of us was created for it.
(Maya Angelou)

There are many important elements to health and happiness, but there’s just one that I have been focusing on lately. Tomorrow is my wedding day, so love has been on my mind!

As we move through the many phases of life, we experience different kinds of love. It can give us a sense of belonging and purpose or feelings of strength and courage. Love can be tender and sweet, smoldering and fiery, unconditional, complicated, or the simplest thing in the world. Love is a unique experience, but it’s also completely universal. Being loved is one of the great joys in life. So is expressing our love to others.

As my fiancé and I were preparing for our wedding, there were two elements where other people’s expression of love helped shape our special day…

First, the music. There are songs for each part of the ceremony, a song for our first dance, and songs that will help us celebrate during the dance party afterwards! Picking out the music – listening to love songs, reading the lyrics, and selecting the ones that meant the most to us – was a wonderful part of the planning process.

Second, the words. We selected two readings for our ceremony. These words from two complete strangers somehow encompassed feelings that we want represented on our big day: love, respect, mutual growth and trust. Words are a powerful expression of love, second only to actions.

Expressing love is not just about romance, even though that’s what is on my mind today. There’s love for life lost, people we have never met, and people we hope to meet one day. My fellow Happy Living writer, Matt Gersper, is a former collegiate football player and business executive. If you met him on the street you would immediately notice his tall stature and kind smile. He’s a funny guy who can be serious when necessary, but you would probably never guess that he’s also a poet…

Matt has expressed his love and emotions through poetry for many years now. One of his favorites is a poem that he wrote to his brother, Jeffery, who was stillborn the year before Matt was born. I think it speaks to the magic and power of love.

My Angel at Heaven’s Gate
by Matt Gersper

You were me, until I became you
It was God’s wish… there was nothing we could do

The Master’s plan required that you would go to Him
Then He put me here on earth in the space you would have been

The space He let me fill has been like a heaven on earth
My life has been so blessed… full of love, happiness and mirth

It was many years until I understood my fate
I was born with my own special angel living at Heaven’s gate

I can now reflect back on my wonderful life
and see the many moments your grace helped me through strife

I have walked with a calm and confidence that often unnerved another
If they only knew my secret, I was given strength from my brother

I am so grateful for the gift given to me at my birth
I await our wondrous meeting when my time ends here on earth

Another place I find inspiration for expressing love is on YouTube… of all places! My two favorites are The Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan and Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement speech from 2005. Watching these two videos helps me regain perspective of what’s most important, and they remind me to share my love and kindness with the world. I hope this post inspires you to express your love. Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Image via Unsplash