"The Power of Love"

I had the honor of experiencing something very special as I was visiting someone. The person I was seeing was a cousin who is very handicapped and most everything in her life has to be done by someone else. She is completely dependent on another human being for her everyday life activities. Each time I see her she is smiling and happy unless she is sick.

Today was no different and as I was spending my time with her I looked around at the others in the room who were also in one way or another with the same existence. It was then that I became aware of the love that was being broadcast silently though out the room. As I let myself open to feel, I had the experience in my own heart of a feeling that was a pure joy.

Driving home I had to think about what had happened to me and what caused this amazing love in my heart. I thought about people who have children who are handicapped and often we think, "Oh, I am so sorry that you have a child like that and they have to endure that." But we have it wrong because these beautiful people have something much bigger to share with us than the average everyday problems.

As I remembered standing there with my heart open I could feel and see the love that moved around the room. Each of the ladies who were there had a love that surrounded them in what they were doing as they facilitate the group. My cousin and her friends were enjoying each others company and the love for each other was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

If you are not around that much love coming out of that many people then it can be a little like being tipsy. As I stumbled back to my car, I realized that something very special had just happened and I was very blessed by being a part of it.

Photographs by Steve Noyce