Love Everything…It Makes Everything Loveable
Meet Mouska The Duck!
Mouska has taught our family many lessons about love. I want to share some of what we have learned here. The picture above shows what Mouska looked like the day he came into our lives. We were on a family vacation and we told the kids they could pick out a souvenir in the hotel gift shop. George spotted a little duck on the top shelf in the back corner beyond our reach, we had to ask for assistance to get him down. Once in Georgie’s sweet little hands, he was immediately hugged and named Mouska.
George changed the day he got Mouska and the little duck changed as well. George tapped into his loving and nurturing side as he showered this little duck with so much love that continued expanding toward many more things in his life. Mouska ceased being a little ducky made of terry cloth and stuffed with cotton…he came to life for George, and soon after, for our whole family and even many friends. The love Georgie felt for him made him so lovable to the rest of us. We all love this little ducky dearly. He isn’t just a stuffed animal, he is love. He became lovable because he was loved so much. Georgie became more of his natural loving self by having the sweet relationship with his beloved Mouska.
George and Mouska have been together for over four years now. They have been through many things together. That sweet little duck has been all over with us. He even survived being left behind at a Disneyland hotel and getting a “makeover”… George fully understood what it meant that Mouska had gotten a makeover…he felt the loss and embraced the solution. When the new Mouska arrived in the mail all fresh and fluffy again, the love was no less. Mouska’s spirit and all the love and precious memories had moved on and inhabited the “refurbished” version. What a lucky duck and what a lucky ducky family we are. We all love Mouska so much.
Mouska and George’s little family has expanded over the years; they have plenty of love to share. Meet Coco and James. They are a loving little bunch. At first I resisted more and more animals coming to live and sleep in George’s bed…but Mouska and George live the lesson that there is plenty of love to go around…there is no limit. George does a great job sharing the love, leaving no one out, making everyone feel special and creating joyful moments with all his little buddies, no matter how many in number.
The family has continued to grow and much love is always beaming out of the room and lingering around the house. The current gang that lives and sleeps on George’s bed are Mouska the duck, James the Monkey, Coco the big bear, Ben the little bear, Dan the big giraffe, Bob the little giraffe, Snoopy the dog, Eagie the eagle and Jones the jellybean duck.
There are stories of love behind each animal. Many were precious gifts from loved ones, one was George’s first purchase with his own money. I have watched these little love stories and felt more of my own heart along the way. It truly is amazing to see these little spirits come to life just by being loved.
The lessons of Mouska and friends makes me think…What else could be changed just by being loved? The real question is…what wouldn’t be changed by being loved? I love this Emerson quote…
Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
If Mouska had been treated like terry cloth and cotton, none of this love would have been felt. He was treated like family and filled with love and he gave it back to us. More Mouska lessons show just how much we benefit from giving love. The more love you give, the more love you have to give. We all know all these things of course, but I am so grateful for our little ducky friend and Georgie who live them so clearly for us to witness, allowing us to expand our own love from having seen them.
Some things are easy to love and some are more difficult. We must learn to love it all and spread love wherever we go so there can be more love for everything and everyone to feel. Love is always the answer. No matter what we are going through or who is appearing before us, we can always step back and put some space between the thing or person and our reaction to it. If we can add space and stillness, very soon, we can feel our heart soften and our willingness to act from love expand and fill us. It is always possible and with more and more practice, it becomes much more automatic…we can more easily embrace what we are truly capable of…pure love. We truly can love everything and make everything more lovable. It is a practice, but it is worth it. I pray to get better and better at it each and every day…just a breath, or a moment can help us be our truest self, with plenty of love to give to every circumstance. Some things take a few more breaths or a bit more time, but watching the process can shorten the time between our little reaction and the true one that comes from our heart to add love to the world.
These days Mouska isn’t as fluffy as he used to be. He has lost his hair twice and he is quite worn by love now. Each year at his birthday party (yes, the kids throw him a birthday party each year), it is easy to see he is changing over time and his experiences are showing. But, no matter how flat he becomes or how much fluff he loses, the love for him is still growing. I love to think that all of us aren’t aging, we’re simply showing our experiences and being worn in with love.
Wishing you the space to live from the place of love for all things that transforms how you see the world and how you can BE in the world. Lets leave nothing on the top shelf unloved, lets pull it all down and fill it with love. No matter what it appears to be…love can change it!
Sending you so much love and joy today and always. Happy love spreading!