I am blessed to enjoy seven trails and walking paths relatively close to where I live. Today I walked the west end of Burnt Bridge Creek. The tall trees spread their limbs, covering the trail. It was beautiful with the light shining through the green leaves. It was simply magical.

Sophia loves her morning walks, our daily explorations. I especially like to go off the beaten track, to find trails and follow them not knowing where they will lead. Burnt Bridge offers that as well as most every trail we frequent. The paved paths are fine, but we like dirt under our shoes and Sophia is especially happy when a creek meanders nearby for her to splash into. Oh, what a sound it makes when she hits the water. Her joy is palpable.

Life is simple for puppy dogs. Sophia is in love with everything and everyone. She doesn’t discriminate. Her love is unconditional. She usually stops before approaching, checking out the vibe to see if she is welcome. She sits there or lies down, looking back over her shoulder, asking if it’s okay to let loose.

I think there’s a lot we can learn from the fur-leggeds of our worlds. Sophia’s default is love, even though she’s been attacked in the past, she is always willing to try again, a bit more discerning, but open to all life offers.

As I was walking, I began thinking about our world and wondering if DC was hit with a massive epiphany, if the light broke through the darkness, if separation was seen for the con it is, would I be happy for Donny and his crew to be successful?

It’s a simple question. Would I care if he truly was a savior? Would I mind that his supporters got to be right?

I saw myself holding the DC crew, the world, in the palms of my hands, pouring love into the cracks, no matter how clogged with belief they were. I honestly don’t know if it will shift THE story, but it can’t help but shift mine. It already has. Love powers the world. With that realization lived into the bones, anything is possible.

Whenever I read something that I need to process, that I need to open a bit more in order to directly feel, when the natural instinct is to tighten down the hatches until the t-storm blows over, what if after I open my heart and gut, I see love flowing out to whatever I had resisted instead.

It’s not bypassing because I have to walk into it, facing it to feel it. I move out of resistance and into acceptance (yes, this is here right now) in order to actually let love flow.

It’s not a mental love. It’s not a fake love. It’s not a manipulative love. It’s real. It’s attuned to the pain and suffering, the happiness and joy of being fully human. It simply takes it one step further.

It’s Sophia remaining open to love, discerning whether it is safe to approach, wagging her tail while she waits.

It’s easy to let love close us down, to let it subtly turn us into what we resist. That’s the nature of resistance. It is alchemical too. Everything is. Nothing is nothing. Nothing is without effect. So, if I stop and let love flow through me into the world, real, genuine love, love without need for it to behave in any way, love without conditions, if I open my heart and let love flow I am in tune with love itself.

Love is conditionless. Expressionless, it expresses itself as all possibilities, light and dark, anger and human love, puppy dogs and the light shining through green leaves overhead. It is conceptless but includes concepts, devoid of ideas it displays ideas. Love simply is, taking form, letting form go, emptiness and fullness, at the speed of life.

What I discovered this morning was a new take on Tonglen, one that discovered me. I love when that happens, when I see the natural grace of life. Love is all that matters. It is all that ever mattered. Some days I need to work through the sadness to feel the open wounds. Some days it looks like anger, and in a way it is. But whatever it looks like it is love in motion, love loving itself.

Amaya Gayle is the author of 6 books, the latest Actuality; infinity at play, published by New Saram Press. https://amzn.to/3Rd4CTY