A Lesson in Unconditional Love

Many times I have wondered, "What is Unconditional Love?  If you pick apart the phrase, you can come up with... loving without any conditions, or how about fully loving, maybe, giving all you got loving, better yet, loving without any judgments whatsoever.  It certainly seemed like a difficult emotion to have.  You see, this other voice always seemed to get in the way when you just want to love.

It was November 2001, at 5 months pregnant when I gave birth and within the hour, said so long to my precious daughter.  I had the honor and privilege to hold her tiny body next to my breast for that one hour and sadly watched her take her last breath.  During that time, all I felt was love -- pure, deep, joyous love!  I thought, what a beautiful creation she is -- so innocent, so pure, so amazing.  I prayed so hard for her and I spoke to her as lovingly as I could.  I wanted her to feel safe within that small moment of time we had together and to feel loved by me before she went home to God.  Once she took her last breath, the pain I felt was just as deep as the love I was feeling.  My heart had felt like it had been ripped into tiny pieces and I just wanted to go with her.

You see, I didn't understand then what my lesson in all this would be.  All I could see and feel was that pain.  Years later and after some very deep healings, prayer and meditation, I came to realize that there actually was a lesson for me in all of this.  I truly experienced a mother's profound love for her child -- all you see and know is this innocent, pure loving being at the mercy of you and all you want to do or know how to do in that moment is LOVE that beautiful child.  There were no other thoughts, except love, protection, kindness and nurturing.

This knowing has stayed with me and it is now just a reminder of how precious and innocent we all were (before our conditions were placed upon us) and how precious life really is.  In those moments of despair... remember that we are love and are loved and most of all, we are to spread that love to others.  Then I also think, if we were and if we all were loved in that way everyday, WOW, who and how would be today?  What would our lives look like now, by remembering to always love no matter what.