Scenes of Love

There is so much love, spilling out of every corner of my life and my memory bank. I would like to share them with you as a show of gratitude. It could be endless..so let me say I have just begun...

*Rachel giving me a reiki lesson on her balcony, during a rain storm only an hour before she leaves for Vietnam and she is not done packing. She is in the moment and she offers herself completely.

*Sabrina cooking me an all vegan breakfast banquet the morning before my departure. She is not vegan, neither is John. There is a pure offering of food out of love for me. It was my last meal in Boston.

*Jumping up and down with a small thai girl in a bookstore in Bangkok. We chase each other around corners and play peekaboo around chairs. When I leave, she becomes sad. She is sad because this moment is over and we cannot return to it. I have been there. I say to her, "Only happiness." For now, we have had the moment.

*Carola giving me a ride to the ferry in between her workshop hours. She gets a flat tire, yet still she rests with me for a while, waiting on the dock. Patiently.

*Anna playing on her violin, flowing with the music, playing a song about carrots. She is inspired by carrots! I am inspired by her.

*Angela riding with me on the back of my bike to the waterfall that wasn't and the wat, or temple that had not begun. We sing Janis Joplin and the Little Mermaid intermingling the two.

*Arbel, anywhere, anytime on the farm playing his flute.

*My ex-boyfriend's family treating me like family. I thank his aunt for all this love. She answers me "You are family." Yes, I am loved.

*Four small boys interlocking their arms, sharing secrets. They are too young to be worried about appearances, personal space or being macho.

*Jody throwing Adriana into the water to teach her how to swim. Adriana is only five years old and so small. I worry that she will drown, but Jody knows how to show her how to swim. Fear is not the way, thus she waits for her lovingly each time she throws her into the waves and waits for her to re-emerge. The love is knowing she will return, that Adriana knows this too.

*Cooking in the kitchen with Israeli volunteers, making them dance to oldies music and teaching them the real meaning of the lyrics. Being inspired by them, their stories, being inspired by seasonal foods, finding a way to putting houbeza into everything.

*Learning so many different ways to make tahina. Can you add the following: dijon mustard, chocolate, advocado, soy sauce, gigner, garam malasa. The answer is always yes. Maybe not at the same time. These are lessons for you to learn though.

*My ex-boyfriend's father doing his glida dance. His wriggle of delight in a restaurant chair, as he orders his forbidden desserts. "Yesh glida?" he asks the waitress, as he wriggles with anticipation. His absolute joy in the moment.

*My ex-boyfriend's mother packing me three sandwiches for my flight to Thailand. She asks me which bread do I prefer: Whole wheat or a bagel? My eyes glaze over with the word bagel. Yes, I nod. Bagel please. She purses lips, and frowns no. Lama lo? "I cannot give you enough vegetables with a bagel sandwich." She declares. Shes does not understand my laughter.

*My father upon hearing that I was going to Thailand, exclaimed "Think of all the Thai food that you will eat." There is no worry, no note of concern in his voice. Instead, he comes from a place of knowing that I will be okay.

*Melissa, an expert in love. Giving me rides, taking care of my fat cat, my objects, my possessions until I return. Offering me nightly, a never ending smile and her beloved hummus and crackers.

*Julie constantly offering me food, her leftovers. My husband is not hungry she claims, while giving me full bags of fresh vegetables.

*Abe and Andrew playing chess anywhere, anytime on the farm. They are determined, so committed, so absorbed by the game. I can see them as two old men, never growing old of this game or their friendship. Their chess playing is beautiful to me, as an extension of their love, their friendship.

*Planting row upon row of seedlings with Tayla and Leila. Talking about love and sex, and everything in between. So much laughter in those moments. Thank you.

*Lice-combings with an individual who shall remain unmentioned. Despite all her fear, offering to comb out my long and weedy locks. It was a lovely spa night and olive oil is so good for your hair.

*May Kadee sharing her bed with me, when I arrive in Bangkok at five in the morning, and she does not have a room for me. Instead she offers me her bedroom, her bed to a stranger.

*Marissa making all my juices when I was sick. Giving me pills, writing down times and amounts, endlessly, patiently. Reading to me in bed, as my fever wains.

*Robin...lending me her car. If only her parents knew! So much trust for a new driver. Trying to charm my driving instructor, when she was instructed to be silent.

*Robin driving to JP, on cold and wintery nights, in order to sit next to silently for hours grading papers while I type out papers ignoring her.

*Ei's smile is pure love. If you knew him, you would know this to be true.

*Abe expertly running all our farm Shabbat dinners. So efficiently, without getting stressed, making his own dishes that he learned from his mother, helping others with their dishes.

*Tremping across Israel. Strangers offering rides to strangers, as mitzvahs, as good deed. Driving out of their way to help, offering suggestions on how to get where you are going. Or simply not talking at all. But the offer remains the same.

*Taking 2 bus rides, 2 plan rides, 1 angry cab, 1 twelve hour overnight bus and 1 four hour ferry to meet your love.

* Taking 1 five hour ferry, 1 twelve hour overnight bus, 1 tuk tuk, 1 motorbike ride to another twelve hour overnight bus, 1 two hour hot and packed truck ride through Thai mountains to meet myself on a farm.

*There is more. There is always more love...