Introduction: Why are we here? That is the universal question posed from Aristotle to religious leaders and on down to you and me.
Neuroscientists say human beings are wired to feel empathy, to feel connected to others and to freely give. Furthermore, research shows the act of giving triggers a release of oxytocin, which boosts your mood and counteracts the effects of cortisol (the dreaded stress hormone). The higher your levels of oxytocin, the more you want to help others. When oxytocin is boosted, so are serotonin and dopamine. Researchers call this The Happiness Trifecta.*
So why are we here? What is the connective tissue that masterminds our nature of giving? Perhaps Love. (Lyrics borrowed from John Denver. See link below)
Dedicated to Iris, Lauren, Sandy, #1Tom and all other givers of shelter.
Perhaps love is like a resting place
A shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort
It is there to keep you warm.
Perhaps love is like the ocean,
Full of conflict, full of change
Like a fire when it's cold outside
Or thunder when it rains.
And even if you lose someone
And don't know what to do
The memory of love will see you through.
Perhaps love is like a window
Perhaps an open door.
It invites you to come closer
It wants to show you more.
And some say love is holding on
Some say letting go
Some say love is everything
Some say they don't know.
And in time of trouble,
When you are most alone,
Memories of love will be of you.
Perhaps Love is Like a Resting Place a Shelter . . . .
Sheltering . . . . are you on new-born feet waiting for the strength to fly OR. . are you the protector straddling storms so that others can fly?
And even if you lose your way
And don't know what to do.
Your memories of love will wing you home.
-----John Denver
He felt their pain, saw their need, not their sin. The Chosen
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Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. ----Matthew 25:45
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Perhaps we are here to love, and not when it is easy, perhaps especially when it is not easy.
------g. hill
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Enjoy John Denver and Placido Domingo’s Perhaps Love
See also: Sea Pearls: Born from Grit and Counted In
GH
The mind can think but the soul knows.
----- James Allen
On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it when we give the Shelter of a touch, Comfort for the weary and Love to the unloved.
-----Jules Renard
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*The Happiness Trifecta: The Neuroscience of Giving | Psychology Today
Images are AI generated or from pixabay.com.
oh yes!!! I also love the way you include scripture in these posts!
This is my favorite Denver songš„°Thank you for comforting words and images to begin this day, Gloriaš¤
Thank you Robin. I submitted this song to MM. You can help me sing it. Won’t that be a treat.
Frank, I admire your honesty. We are not handed instructions on living. But there is something inherent in the grand design. There is something inside that must ring true for us, otherwise, which is the underlying premise of polygraphs. For me, it is the generosity of love, especially the unlovable.
absolutely awesome, Gloria, thank you–nance
Thanks Gloria. Love that Happiness Trifecta.
Thank you, Jan. And we know it rings true, that Happiness Trifecta. And the music we share has that perfect blending of giving and receiving.
To love is to share yourself with others!
Thanks Gloria
That’s Amore! Thank you, John!
After 80 plus years I still have not come to a conclusion on why we are here. I do know, however, that love and family are at the top of the list.
Thanks Gloria for your wonderful rendition of ālove.ā
I WAS READING THE COMMENTS FROM A FRIEND, RON GEORGE WHO I HAVE KNOWN FOR OVER 50 YEARS, AND QUITE FRANKLY HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD TAP YOUR LINK, VERY GLAD I DID..HOW VERY VERY BEAUTIFUL..THANK YOU…
Thank you! Welcome aboard. Ron and I were in high school together. He was in my Italian class. Lots of fun.
Love this! Thank you, Gloria!