True Colors

You may know the person I speak of. She is your friend, your ally, your accomplice, your other half. She is your enemy, your bruised ego, your aching heart, your tears and sorrow. Her words are your words, her expression and beauty a mirror of your own, her soul a twin flame lighting the darkness of the world. 

I've known her all my life. She's known me at my worst and at my best. I can't say I've always appreciated the bond we shared but somehow, I knew this love was unlike any other I would ever experience, a blessing and treasured gift. She's grown to be someone I admire more than anyone else, for her strength, her courage, her resiliency, a free spirit soaring in the breeze and turbulence that is life. 

You may know her by another name, but she is one and the same. A sister to share the blood of your ancestors pumping through the web of veins, a common link between the generations. Her life is no mistake, as yours is no accident either. As sisters, you share an unmistakable, undeniable love unlike anything else. 

My sister is someone who loves with her whole heart, a courageous soul fighting for who and what she loves. With the beautiful words etched on her body, she has intended herself for a life of love, a path we all seek. Inscribed in Spanish, the words marked among images and designs of the night sky read: 

         

       "Haz lo que amas y ama lo que haces." 

                            Do what you love and love what you do.

A journey we all seek, to live the life we love. I find myself mulling over the concept of love and passion in terms of living out my life purpose, whatever that may be. Working at a group home with kids with special needs, I am beginning to grasp the possibility of finding my niche, my passion. 

I always thought I wanted to be a counselor, and maybe someday I will. But, life has other plans for me right now. When I look forward to going to work to interact with the kids, I know this is where I am supposed to be. I feel their stories of loss, hurt and abandonment seeping into my heart, pulling at my heart strings. Their presence in my life has awoken a love in me I haven't always been in touch with. They truly bring out the best in me, the caring, loving, patient parts that have struggled to find their say with the shadow of my fears, regrets and shortcomings. 

But, with the kids, I find myself existing in this space of authenticity and genuine love. And, I suddenly realize this is exactly what those words mean to me right now, at this point in my life. To find something I love and to do it with my whole heart is what I'm after, what I'm constantly seeking to find. And, maybe for now, I've found it. A place to open my heart to kids who are desperately in need of the love they have been cheated out of the majority of their existence. 

As my heart opens to the lives of these truly amazing kids, I know this is yet another, blessing and treasured gift. It is a chance that I have been given to learn more about loving without judgments, without conditions, without preconceived notions or expectations, opening my heart to loving freely and openly, letting my true colors shine out into my life to share with the world.