Daisy

This morning I took a walk in whatever green I could find near the Yorktown Shopping Center outside of Chicago. I am here for the Celebrate Your Life Conference. Fortunately there is a lovely little pond with tree-lined banks at the neighboring Baptist Seminary/Conference Center. [For a second I thought the sign said Buddhist Conference Center because I could only see the “ist” and there was a beautiful contemplation tree that reminded me of where the Buddha awakened.]

The area where I walked was abundant with pinecones and daisies. I looked at the daisies and thought about the game I used to play as a girl, “He loves me, he loves me not.”

Now this games seems so foreign to me: the belief that there is any truth to this game, that there is any power in it, or that nature of life would be so fickle. What I have learned about Life (or God or the Universe or whatever you want to call it) is that it is always loving --- not just sometimes, on certain days or under certain conditions, but all of the time. I don’t have to ask it as a question “loves me?” I know that it is true. And I am extremely blessed to have this in my relationship with my husband where I receive constant unconditional love.

I pick my daisy and carry it back with me to the Westin where my Conference is being held. I was happy to hear the panelist, Elizabeth Lesser, say that there really is no difference between the best-selling authors on the stage and the people in the audience as each one of us, if put on the stage, has incredible wisdom to share. This too I know is true. I am grateful for the reminders of truth everywhere I go.