Article Title: Love and work, Work and Love Author Name: Julie Jordan Scott Contact Email Address: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Word Count: 487 Category: Spirituality, Parenting, Love Copyright Date: 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Publishing Guidelines: Thank you for publishing this article in its entirety including the resource box. When possible, please notify me of publication by sending either a website link or a copy of your ezine upon publication via email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] THANKS! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Love and Work, Work and Love © 2007 Julie Jordan Scott http://www.5passions.com My day started merrily today. Please read that again, with your tongue firmly entrenched in your cheek, and hear it in my voice. Yes, my day started merrily today. I'll put it in a nutshell for you. Sam, my five-year-old, is having challenges with his digestive system. He had them when we were in Flagstaff and now they have started again, but this time from a different part of his digestive system. When it looked like it was a temporary challenge, I lit a candle and set it on my entry way altar. I recited my most recent quote-to-live-by, "My work is to love." Mary Oliver said it so it must be true. Sam made another mess which I cleaned, mopped and scrubbed up. "My work is to love." I said with a minor amount of vigor. "My work is to love." In cleaning up like this, I was loving my family and myself. I walked down the hallway, past the bathroom, and there was another surprise for me. I went to fetch the mop and bucket from the kitchen. I caught Katherine's eye and said, "I love being a Mom when you guys are sick." My wise fifteen-year-old daughter replied, "You love being a Mom all the time." I trudged down the hall while she continued. "Can you imagine life without us?" She had a valid point there. I could not imagine life without them. Sam had followed me to the bathroom. He felt no guilt or remorse for adding to my to-do list for the day. That is how it should be. He shouldn't feel remorseful for having digestive problems. It is a normal part of life and "my work is to love." I mopped it up and lifted Sam onto the counter which I disinfected before and after he sat there. I got a washcloth and warmed it with water and washed him off, too. He laughed, not at all upset at any part of his day. I smiled at my precious boy and remembered, "My work is to love." I returned to prior task with a smile on my face. I looked up from my writing to take a breath when I caught a glimpse of it. My altar. I can see my altar from my desk. It looks so pretty. There is a clock there, a couple candles, an assortment of pinecones, acorns, candles, a sculptured angel, a pomegranate and an empty wine bottle. The "my work is love" candle is giving me a hug from a distance. Behind me, Sam and Katherine are high-fiving and Emma is sitting at the dining room table, drawing and writing. I can feel my work, my love, filling me. I can not imagine my life without them. I can not imagine my life without my work. Love. Love. Love. Work. Work. Work. Kahlil Gibran said, "Work is love made visible." I agree with my wise friends and my daughter. My most important work, where I make the most significant contribution, is when I love. = + = + = + = Julie Jordan Scott is a Writer, Life Coach, Poet, Speaker, Actor, Director and Mom Extraordinaire whose deepest passion is helping people - like you - discover and live with passion. Call 661.444.2735 to book your complimentary coaching session or visit http://www.5passions.com for plentiful resources to live a passion-rich life. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE USING ARTICLES POSTED ON THE GROUP: 1. Print the article in its entirety. Don't make any changes in the article . 2. Print the resource box with all articles in their entirety. 3. Send the Author a copy of the reprinted article or the URL where the articles was posted. Anything short of following these three rules is a violation of the Authors Copyright. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReprintArticles-Paradise/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReprintArticles-Paradise/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/