All We Need Is Love

"Nothing you can do, but you learn how to be you, in time. It's easy.  ~ John Lennon - All You Need Is Love

When John Lennon wrote "All You Need Is Love" at the age of 27 for Our World, the world's first international televised satellite link up he knew he had an opportunity to make an impact on the world never before imagined.

Journalist Jade Wright wrote, "Lennon was fascinated by the power of slogans to unite people and was never afraid to create art out of propaganda."

Asked in 1971 whether songs like "Give Peace A Chance" and "Power to the People" were propaganda songs Lennon answered, "Sure. So was 'All You Need Is Love.' I'm a revolutionary artist. My art is dedicated to change."

When John Lennon was murdered on December 8, 1980, a large piece of what was good in the world went with him, for a time.

But his messages remain.

As parents of addicted children we may choose from innumerable pathways. We choose, sometimes, lives of despair and jaw-clenching discouragement. Or, we can let go of all of it, all of the roadblocks and highwaymen impeding our progress.

We can let love in. And we we can begin with ourselves.  This is an internalized love we've been told is selfish and only self serving.

This is a difficult assignment. There are, again, innumerable pathways for achieving this self love. Whatever path is chosen the main obstacle is that first step.

Watch that first step - it's a doozy!

We have to let go, relax and soften our hearts. Rather than clenching every fiber of our bodies and souls with each experience that comes our way we can end the cycle of involuntary responses and BREATHE, simply breathe, in and out, in … and … out.

We begin to get to know ourselves again. Breathing can bring us back to ourselves, to find those traits, talents and natural tendencies that we'd forgotten, those lost aspects of ourselves we recall fondly, the activities we loved to do and innate gifts we may have considered exploring before our children's spiral. These are the parts of us we once loved but until now would NEVER acknowledge.

We do this by breathing. Breathing helps us end the obsessing, controlling and predicting. We have time now, time to look left, look right, behind and ahead. We can see the beauty all around us.

When we allow the love in, like the Grinch in the Dr. Seuss poem our hearts can soften and grow "three sizes."

Amazing things happen. We come out of isolation, emerge from our hateful, bitter and sorrowful rain forests and partake in in all the possibilities the Great Creator has provided. Only then can we love ourselves and begin to explore who we are.

"Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you, in time."

Scary business, finding our true selves, exploring who we are.

Days, weeks, months or even years later, our selves emerged, we are amazed at the lives we have before us, the pathways laid out, the journey ahead - beckoning.

During the process transformations can materialize. We begin to disassociate the addict from his or her addiction. We love our son because we realize he is in the stranglehold of a disease that we can no more cure than if he had succumbed to cancer. We respect her journey as hers alone and we trust (we have to trust) that she will figure a way out. We have handed over the journey of our children to a Power greater than we can ever be.

We've done this because we have found love for ourselves. We have taken the time. We have been gentle with ourselves, our imperfections and foibles.

We are exactly where we need to be on our recovery journeys.

"Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be."

John Lennon's words continue to impact our lives as they did in that breakthrough satellite broadcast in 1967.

And that is the impact and power of love.

"It's easy!"

… keep coming back