Something is shifting, and it feels like I’m more open to Divine Mother’s love than ever before.
What a wonderful sensation to be experiencing on today of all days.
So, heartfelt wishes to you for a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Feeling the love
Happy Valentine’s Day
I can hardly believe it, but today was the eighteenth Valentine’s Day I’ve shared with Ramesha.
For our first Valentine’s Day in 2004 we had dinner at a pizzeria in Ciriè, Italy (outside Torino), where my singing group was staying for a few days.
We had gotten engaged exactly one week earlier, on February 7. Ramesha was planning to ask me on Valentine’s but couldn’t wait. 😊
And here we are, almost twenty years later. What a blessing. 💗
Celebrating love
It’s been a lovely Valentine’s Day.
We started the day off feeling deeply inspired by Anandi’s Sunday service talk on Divine Love. Then we celebrated with French toast for lunch, followed by opening our Valentine’s cards and simply chatting for a while.
It was the sort of cold and gloomy day that’s perfect for getting cozy with a movie, so in the afternoon we watched the 1997 Cinderella featuring Whitney Houston and a whole slew of other great movie actors. I had barely heard of it before a few days ago, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.
However, it got me thinking about another version of the same musical, so…! With the patient indulgence of my wonderful husband (and after a delicious tortellini and broccoli dinner) we watched Cinderella again — this time the 1957 live television version with a very young Julie Andrews.
It was an altogether enjoyable, relaxing, and love-filled day. 💝
The perfect proposal
Ramesha posted this photo last Sunday, in honor of the day — seventeen years ago! — when he asked me to marry him. I was focused on other things this past weekend, but it was such a sweet post (and so many people shared loving comments!) that I didn’t want to let it pass me by.
So, here goes yet another walk down memory lane…
As of the end of October we were officially “an item,” but spending time together wasn’t so easy, with me either serving at Ananda Assisi or touring with the Italy singers, while he worked in Lugano.
We managed to get together a couple of times in November, me taking the train to Lugano and him driving to where the singers were spending a weekend near Torino. This was also the month when Swami Kriyananda made the decision to move to India, which had us all in a certain amount of shock.
By this time, it was clear that I wouldn’t be joining Ramesha and other dear friends on the pilgrimage to India, so we had to accept the reality of spending our first Christmas and New Year’s apart. I made another train trip to Lugano in mid-December so we could celebrate our Christmas early; we were both pretty sad but did our best to look ahead to when I would travel north again to see him on his return.
He encountered flight delays, so I actually got to Lugano before he did and was able to welcome him home. My vacation time was only supposed to last two weeks, but was extended indefinitely due to the completely unexpected but quite serious legal drama being played out at the community in Assisi.
Though greatly concerned for our spiritual family, we couldn’t help feeling grateful for the opportunity — finally! — to spend a whole month together. In fact, as the weeks went by our relationship just got better in every way.
The singers had performances near Torino planned for Valentine’s weekend, so the plan was that Ramesha would drive me there, then I would go back to Assisi with the group.
I’ll never forget the Sunday before our planned departure. We had finished meditation, then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. I was still in my comfortable but rather sloppy meditation T-shirt and leggings as we sat at the table talking; speaking of our hopes and dreams; and sharing deeply spiritual thoughts.
There was a sense of profound connection. Then Ramesha made a frustration kind of sound, said he’d be right back, returned with a little red box, and asked me to marry him. Just like that. He said his plan was to propose the following week on Valentine’s Day, but he just couldn’t wait.
And that’s our engagement story. 💘
I listened and love was there
I was thinking about Valentine’s Day….and reflecting on what — if anything — I wanted to say about it. And I realized I just wanted to share this about love…
Love is all I know:
Sunrays on the snow
Of a winter long
In darkness, without song.
Oh, my heart’s afire,
Burning all desire:
Only You remain,
And life again!
Too long I did stray,
Flung lifetimes away—
Imagined You did not care!
I know now Your smile
Was mine all the while:
I listened, and Love was there.
I can’t breathe for love!
All the stars above
Call to me: “Come home!
Life’s waves all end in foam.”
Only love can heal
All the pain I feel.
What a fool was I
To turn away!