I think I hear the Beatles…….!!
Hello!
Yup–gotta love the Beatles—-recently I heard their famous song—“All you need is love” —I was on a particularly long commute that day–with lots of time to think—and so I did…………………..A LOT.
I read a powerful story not too long ago—that came to mind while sitting in traffic.
There was a young Jewish woman who had fled Nazi Germany in 1942. She was now traveling on a train , alone, looking out the window at the beautiful vineyards and villages of the Italian countryside. She was hoping to remain unnoticed. She’d been traveling around for three years from safe place to another safe place –from kind friend to kind friend.
Suddenly the door at the other end of the train swung open and two police officers came in. The young woman’s heart was beating wildly. They were wearing the black uniforms of the Fascisti—the government police. To her horror–they began to make their way down the aisle — stopping at each row to examine papers of each passenger.
She knew that once they discovered she had no papers she would be arrested. She was terrified she would end up in a concentration camp.
The officers were getting closer-she began to tremble and tears slid down her cheeks.
The man sitting next to her asked her why she was crying.
I’m Jewish and I have no papers, she whispered.
To her surprise, a few seconds later the man began shouting at her, “You idiot! I can’t believe how stupid you are! What an imbecile!”
The police officers hearing the commotion stopped what they were doing and came over. “What’s going on here?” The young woman began to cry even harder.
The man turned a disgusted face to the policeman and said “Officers-take this woman away! I have my papers, but my wife has forgotten hers. She always forgets everything. I’m so sick of her. I don’t ever want to see her again!”
The officers laughed, shaking their heads at the couple’s marital spat, and moved on.
With this selfless act of caring—“and act of pure human love”–this woman’s life was saved. The young woman never saw this man again. She never even knew his name.
What moved this man–to do such a thing?
He didn’t help her because she had made him a great breakfast that morning–or because she did anything for him. He did not do it because he would get recognized for it.
He did it simply because in that moment of heroism he was moved by an impulse of compassion and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
POWERFUL story. POWERFUL concept.
I have two beautiful adult daughters– one who is on the doorstep of marriage ( next month!) to an incredibly wonderful man. Both of them fill my heart with joy. I am proud beyond my mere words. To this day we laugh about how when they were growing up–and in a quandary–I would always say to them–just ask yourself this question–“If love were here–what would love do now.”
Of course I would hear a big groan–Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ……
Yet today –we smile and know that love is at the core of all they do.
So—-take a minute and listen to the Beatles—COME ON—JUST DO IT—because —
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE–da da da da ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE—da da da da ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE–LOVE–LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED……………LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED……………………………………
With a LOT OF LOVE TO AND FOR YOU ALL—-
Gail 🙂
