Love Hurts
Our focus this week — Dec 24-31: “The Puzzle of Love”
Today’s MotD: Love Hurts. Yes, sometimes love hurts. But know this, it’s just one part of the whole package deal. And the rewards far outweigh the pain.
One caveat: if the hurt we are experiencing from someone else or to ourselves is physical, emotionally degrading, or mentally distressing (essentially we’re talking abuse), this is NOT the type of hurt we’re talking about here…please seek help ASAP if this is what is happening to you.
The best example that comes to mind for me with today’s topic is our pets, in my case our dogs. For decades I existed without any pets. When my husband and I were finally in a position to do so, we adopted two greyhounds. We only intended to get one. But it turned out that the one we wanted had separation anxiety issues (awww), so we also adopted the dog he fostered with—a real sweetheart.
A few years later I took one of them for walk. At one point I looked down at him and began to cry. I knew that someday he was no longer going to be with us and it made me sad. It hurt to think of him in those terms. In that moment, it also made me appreciate and cherish him even more. That’s when I recognized how much I loved him and his “brother”. Even as I write this I feel emotional about them and it’s been over six years since they crossed the rainbow bridge.
Does this mean we should have never adopted these dogs…absolutely not. They helped me to open up a part of my heart that had been closed for a long time. We knew going in with each dog we rescued, that there would be a time limit on each of them. We knew at some point it was going to hurt when the left us.
We are now on our fifth greyhound, Faé. We(I)’ve loved them all and it still hurts to think of them not being here. And yet, they also gave/give me/us so much joy and love. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of it.
This topic also reminded of something Brené Brown professes: when we shut down one emotion, we shut down all of them. Which begs the question: why would I deprive myself of joy and love just so I wouldn’t have to feel hurt or sadness ? Now THAT would be sad.
“Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all”
— Alfred Lord Tennyson
How about you ? Do you tend to hold back love for fear of getting hurt ? If you knew that holding back love, would hold back all of your emotions, would you still hold back ? Even though there’s a potential for hurt, are you willing to allow yourself even a little bit of love today ?
BTW…Here’s the before…the front and back view of today’s puzzle piece and the pretty ceramic box that holds all my numbers from which I randomly choose each day’s puzzle piece number:
Peace & Blessings,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
🔆 transforming soul whispers into mandalas and channeled messages for clarity, peace, and love
ABOUT THE 2025 Mandalas of the Day
Throughout the year, I’ll be building one large (48”x48”) Tibetan-styled Mandala one piece at a time…one puzzle piece at a time, that is. The mandala design and the reversed puzzle side were printed on artist-quality watercolor paper. The forward facing puzzle side was printed on a 48”x48” wood panel.
Each day, at random, I’ll be painting in watercolors one of the 365 watercolor puzzle pieces, that by the end of the year will become Archangel Mandala #4. Read more about the Archangel Series. The word/message for each piece will be inspired by Melody Beattie’s book “52 Weeks of Conscious Contact”.
Ultimately, the message of this mandala is about how we are all uniquely part of the one.
Mandala of the Day 