Love is not a fleeting feeling that leaves just because a relationship ends. It is not some whimsical mood related to romance. Love is a state of being that remains laced within your soul. It has come to me in many forms, depending upon the type of connection I’ve had to those I’ve loved, but I have kept every instance laced to my soul. 

What I have learned about this miracle called love is that contemplating it leads to the opening of the mind, and that traveling further down its path leads directly to a rapture of the heart and soul. It revitalizes the senses and merges with all our temporal knowledge to sustain our lives. It protects us and brings about the necessary changes that allow us to grow and reach out to others. Regardless of its form—daughter, sister, wife, mother, lover, or friend—it can produce the same result.

“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” ~ Aristotle

Heart and Soul  by Jan Camerone

Love is indeed the rhythm behind the dance of life that brings about revelatory experiences of joy, sadness, and redemption. Love unites the heart, mind, and soul into one; when this happens, we experience a state of euphoria. This heightened state of awareness then expands our abilities to move forward and thrive. It is the ultimate state of understanding and our link between our humanity and spirituality.

In watching my parents interact as husband and wife, I first witnessed love in its purest form.  Although like most couples they had their share of ups and downs, they had a special bond between them.  This connection was never more apparent than when Dad was diagnosed with cancer.  When complications arose after his initial surgery, Mom, my siblings and I waited for many hours to catch a glimpse of our ailing paterfamilias.  

When Mom and I finally arrived at Dad’s bedside, it was easy to see that his body was in great distress. He was connected to several machines, his breathing was labored, and his vital signs were weak. The constant beeping of the devices only heightened our anxiety. Neither of us was prepared to witness him in such a frail state. Our once-vibrant patriarch looked so tired and worn. It took every bit of fortitude not to cry out.

As Mom bent down to kiss his forehead, Dad opened his eyes. I could see in them, how much he was suffering. And yet he mustered up enough strength to smile. His eyes twinkled. Mom began to weep. For that moment, Dad ceased to be a patient. He became her husband again, and soothed her with his words. As I watched the silent dance of magic between them, it affirmed what a strong love they shared. It was such a poignant moment. For a few minutes, it seemed that all was frozen in time and I was observing a transfer of love between two individuals, who just happened to be my parents. It seemed that they had a mystical, invisible cord that connected their hearts. I was moved by witnessing a glimpse of the connection that linked Mom and Dad not only as husband and wife, but spirit to spirit. In the stillness of that hospital room, another “aha” moment occurred. I had been privileged to observe two hearts merging as one, two spirits finding their other half. And in that moment of revelation, I finally understood the theory of spiritual oneness.  

When Dad died, Mom was only sixty-one years of age and still a vibrant woman with much life ahead. Yet despite the constant urging of her children to date again, Mom did not have the desire to do so. Once when I asked her why, Mom replied, “When I married your Dad, I had my Cinderella story. Prince Charming found me and I married him. Any other man would fall short of what I have come to know about love. Your Dad was the epitome of a husband and would be a tough act to follow.”  

On hearing Mom speak these words, my heart almost broke.  As she wept, I held her in my arms. For the first time in my life, I witnessed the vulnerability of Mom as it related to love. After some twenty-one years, Mom still grieves for her lost love, yet she also carries a memory of a man who loved her in a manner that connected a single soul to two human beings – a gift of spirit that remains a part of her to this day.    

My new book, The White Light of Grace is my “rendition of affairs of the heart.” It recounts my journey of self-discovery, realizations about forgiveness, self-acceptance and healing.