Maya on Love

So much wisdom in one person, one soul.  I think this is because of the road she has traveled.  

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Each of us is a product of our life experience. Maya was the victim of horrifying crimes at a very young age, crimes that plunged her into darkness, silence, and fear.  Whatever our life experience there comes a time in each of our lives that we have to choose our path, the proverbial "fork in the road". We have the power to determine whether we will continue to live our life as a victim or turn it around and live the rest of our life as a victor. Thank God Maya chose to become a victor. 

I believe it's true that the wisest people have been through the most. I can't say that we learn only from mistakes. Hopefully we learn from good choices and from bad choices. But we learn empathy and compassion from experience. We learn about life and ourselves from bad choices and bad experiences.  Wisdom really is the ability to discern truth in the midst of the garbage that is piled on us every day. If we can't recognize the garbage then we can't discern the truth.  Difficult, painful life experience expose us to the garbage so we can recognize it in the future. 

Maya on love:

Touched by an Angel

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free 

Powerful words.  And absolutely true.  Love liberates. Love emboldens. Love frees.

Before I leave you - a video of the lady herself. Maya speaking about the liberation of love. 

 

"Love liberates, it doesn't bind. Love says 'I love you. I love you if you're in China. I love you if you're across town.  I love you if you're in Harlem. I love you. I would like to be near you. I'd like to have your arms around me. I'd like to hear your voice in my ear. But that's not possible now so I love you. Go.' Love liberates. It doesn't just hold. That's ego. Love liberates"