All You Need is Love
myDarlin Robert’s favorite band is the Beatles. He knew,
what I perceived to be, more trivia about them than anyone. At one point, we
even had a guest bedroom decked out with Beatles paraphernalia complete with a
bedspread reminiscent of the album cover of Revolver. When I told Robert that a friend recommended
the Beatles inspired movie Across the Universe, we immediately bought the DVD
and have watched it countless times since. Robert would talk to me about the
meanings of specific songs, chord progressions and what was going on in the
Beatles lives at the point they were recorded.
One of his all-time favorite songs is ‘All You Need is
Love’, which nicely translates into the Aloha Spirit. He changed his ring tone
a couple of years back to All You Need is Love, and I can remember singing ‘ba
ba-ba da da’ with him when it would ring.
Last year, as a group of our Ohana wait for Robert to come
out of open heart surgery, one of the hospital associates brought me a clear
plastic bag with his clothes in it. I had already received his wallet, keys and
wedding ring, but his phone was nowhere to be found. I didn’t think much about
it, as it could have been anywhere. The hospital staff didn’t quite know what
to make of this large group of people being so happy as they wait for Robert to
come out of open heart surgery, and even approached me to say that they may
have to find a separate room for us as our numbers and volume level was growing.
For those that do not know our story, two women (I really think they were
angels in disguise) prayed with me during the first few moments after I arrived
at the hospital, asking for our Lord, the Great Physician, to guide the
surgeon’s hands and for His Will to be done. It was at that point, that I knew
beyond a shadow of a doubt that Robert was going to be OK. I’ll never forget the moment that I heard,
‘All You Need is Love’ coming from the plastic bag with his clothes. They had
missed his phone, and this was a sign that it was all going to be OK.
As Robert recovered, the outpouring of love from our Ohana
both immediate and community was nothing short of amazing. He and all of us
knew that God had work left to be done by Robert. The following months were
wonderful, and he was able to share the miracle of his story with many people,
both believers and non-believers. Our love grew even deeper, which I never knew
was possible, than it had already been.
As each of our children, friends and I shared their remembrance
of Robert at his Memorial Service, the love came flowing from each one of us
for a man and an ideal that we all aspire to. An excerpt from Chris was this:
… the lesson was to enjoy life.
Truly enjoy it, because All You Need is Love….
I am filled with gratitude for myDarlin, a man who changed
all of our lives with this one simple concept. Love.
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with
me— a prayer to the God of my life. Psalms 42:8
#KeepLookingUp
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment