To Express Love [ADVENTure Nine]

My friend Elizabeth is an amazing giver of I love yous. She doesn't say I love you lightly - she means it wholeheartedly. I've seen her stop teenagers who have a whatever attitude to her I love yous, look them in the eye, and make sure they recognize that she's being genuine and fully receive her love. Beth gives out all sorts of love ... I-love-you-but-I-honestly-don't-like-you-very-much-in-this-moment-so-get-your-act-together love; I-love-you-and-I-earnestly-want-you-to-love-yourself love; I-love-you-and-I-want-you-to-know-God's-love-for-you love; I-love-you-and-you-better-take-care-of-yourself love; I-love-you-even-when-you're-tough-to-love love; I-love-you-and-I-want-you-to-feel-loved-every-second-of-your-day love.

Everyone needs an Elizabeth in their life to remind them how much they are loved - no strings attached. 

Elizabeth encouraged my sixteen year old daughter Haley to create a character for a play that is totally unlike Haley herself. Haley is usually quiet, especially around people she doesn't know. She isn't too concerned with other people's drama. Haley created Emma, a loud-mouthed neighbor who knows everybody's business. Emma is the queen of self-love, self-confidence, and sometimes misplaced confidence in others' abilities. She shows her love for her neighbors and neighborhood in both gruff and gentle ways - calling out neighbors for littering and helping calm the fears of an overwhelmed mother. And by bailing out her hairdresser, who got nabbed for drug possession, even after he destroyed her hair and embarassed her when she revealed it to her mother, as she had trusted him enough not to look at it herself when he was finished. The confrontation wasn't pretty, but she got her message - and her love- across to Rasheed.

Everyone needs an Emma in their life to speak truth in love...isn't that what we're all trying to do? 

(A scene between Emma and Rasheed, taken during rehearsal for 

Stoops at Epoch Arts in East Hampton, CT)