Richmond, VA Valentine Day

Merry meet Friends!
Michelle here, bringing lots of love and light!

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." ~ Rumi

"Set your life on fire.  Seek those who fan your flames." ~ Rumi

"Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love." ~ Rumi

"What is required is that we love the difficult and learn to deal with it.  In the difficult are the friendly forces, the hands that work on us. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

"Close your eyes.  Fall in love.  Stay there. ~ Rumi


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY Lovelies!!!  


On yesterday, I went to DC with my sister in law and her daughter, to help my daughter Tiffany select her wedding gown.  We went to three bridal shoppes in Northern Virginia.  In order for my daughter Zakiya, who lives in Los Angeles, to participate, I Face-timed her.  I was so tired because I had worked until 12am, stayed awake until 2:30am, woke at 3:30am, fell asleep again at 5:30am and woke at 7am to prepare to leave.  When we arrived we picked uTiffany and her friend Liz, who is also a bridesmaid in the wedding.  Our first stop was the wedding venue.  I had gone before with Tiffany to see it but couldn't get the tour due to an event that day.  This time we had full access. 

The place is beautiful!  She can have the ceremony inside or out. She was adamant about it not being outside because of the humidity in July but she is reconsidering.  It is an evening wedding and it would be beautiful outside.  We shall see.  She has her own mind, that one does, and always has.  Everything will be held there, which makes it so much easier on everyone.  From there we went to the bridal shoppes.  Tiffany looked so beautiful in every gown.  Of course she looked better in some than others.  When she tried on the fourth gown, she looked up and said, "I'm getting married!".  She then started to cry..happy tears to be sure, but tears, none the less. Well that started it for all of us.  It became a reality to her, I think. Phone calls, and internet searches are not quite the same as seeing one's self in the actual gown.  In the last shoppe, the owner offered jewelry to try on.  With the veil added, we had the full effect and there were tears again.  This time it was Zakiya who started.  Tiffany looked like a princess. The gowns accentuated her hour glass figure.

We then went to dinner.  While there Tiffany admitted that she hadn't expected to find anything she liked.  She was pleasantly surprised.  She has narrowed it down to two at the first shoppe, one at the second and two at the third.  There is one gown that stood out for most us.  It was...amazing!  That gown was the one that moved Zakiya to tears.  Whatever she chooses, however, will undo us all, I'm sure.  We dropped off Liz at her apartment and Tiffany at hers and headed back to Richmond.  It was a full day ending around 9pm by the time I returned home.  How exciting that it was the day before Valentine Day, the celebrated day of love!

There are so many ways, things, people and places to love, aren't there?  I, for one, think it's best to start with self love.  In loving ourselves, we learn how to love...everything!  Even the difficult in our lives have been placed there for our learning.  This world is a school, is it not?  We learn to re-member what we have forgotten.  I am in the process of re-minding myself...making my mind new again.  What I mean, is that we have been conditioned to think a certain way from birth.  It's the collective consciousness...when the majority thinks a certain way, usually everyone follows suit.  We forget that we have come to earth with incredible abilities and we have forgotten how to use them.  Learning to love ourselves and by extension others, is a wonderful way to remember.

We do need to, as Rumi suggests, find the barriers within ourselves that keep us from loving and, I might add, living fully.  For how can we fully live if we don't fully love?  It all begins with us.  Love yourself today and every day.  Think good thoughts, speak good things to yourself and nurture, nurture, nurture YOU!

Until next Sunday,
Merry part and merry meet again,
Blessed be,
Gypsi Mama Michelle