Reflecting on love

You're probably thinking what the heck is Bouncing Cooc, lol. Well, this many little girls in our house the youngest gets bounced a lot; bounced on my lap, in her exersaucer, even worse when Norah tries to carry her around. Fortunately, Coco loves being bounced. She has the most infectious smile the warms the core of my soul. Bouncing Coco creates mental images of happiness, love and family. So our family will always be "Bouncing Coco."

My maternal grandmother Betty died on Monday after a long battle with Alzheimer's and lung disease. It is sad to know she is no longer here, but it is also such a relief to know the long days of suffering and dread have ended. My poor grandfather had devoted so much time lovingly caring for his Beloved Betty, to whom he wed 59 years ago. I am sad he lost his true life partner but hopeful that he can see a new purpose to his own life. A purpose that is no longer defined by sickness and sadness.

I learned a lot about love from watching my grandparents. They were not affectionate people, rarely said 'I love you', or offered a hug. They were from a different generation that didn't express your emotions. As a child I always knew I loved my grandmother but struggled with the desire to be loved in return. Only when I reached my thirties did I truly realize she always loved although she never told me. I am thankful that I was finally able to get to know a little. I will always wish she would have been the type of grandmother who could have shared her soul with me.

Yesterday, I spoke with a good friend about her marriage and gave her the advice to start writing love notes to her spouse, everyday for 6 months. It is so easy to think about all the negative things that occur in life and even more so in marriage. So I challenged her to write 180 loves notes, that caused her to think about something her husband did to inspire love in her. I am taking my own advice.

Today, like many days, Ravi (my husband) made me a cinnamon latte. Yes, I know not a big deal, but to me it is sweet way that I am able to start my day knowing he loves me. I am able to tackle all the world throws at me not because of the ingredients that come prepackaged but because of his secret ingredient...LOVE.