I remember when Jeff and I were engaged, and, as required by the Catholic Church, we had to attend some sessions with our priest to determine if we were ready for this big step in our lives. He asked us questions about what we envisioned for our future. He asked us questions about our core values. He asked us questions about our family. He asked us questions about our love for one another. he spent some time discussing this love for one another, comparing our passionate love to a love felt over time, less passion with more compassion.
I remember at the time thinking, how can this celibate man understand the love between a man and a woman? How can he understand passion vs compassion, when his life is dedicated to God, which is a very different sort of love all together? It actually bothered me quite a bit at the time.
It wasn’t until years later, while watching Pope John Paul II being nterviewed on the television, sharing his story of his time before he became a priest. He was in the theater. He lived a theater life of love and passion and flamboyancy. He knew passion and he knew compassion. I was shocked. How could this man, who had lived a pretty wild life as a youth, one day become the Pope? And yet, to me, that was the perfect person to be Pope; one who had seen and done it all, and then chose his path of celibacy, dedicating the rest of his life to God.
I believe in love. I believe in passion. I believe in compassion. I believe that these three elements need to be experienced, at least once in a person’s life, to be amore well-rounded person. To be the sage person who can share wisdom with others.
My wish is for everyone to know love, passion, and compassion. Namaste.