“Love without conversation is impossible.” – Mortimer Adler
My friend, Gloria, left a message on my answering machine last night: “Do you know it has been nine days since we have seen each other?” Indeed, Day 17 of this Advent blog describes my trip to the movies with Gloria. She also told me that it had been a week since she had even been out of her apartment, since the weather had been so darn cold.
My first act of LOVE, then, this morning, was to call her and ask if she would like to go out for coffee. Well, in fact, no, she had exercise class this morning, and then a visit from a friend that afternoon, but thanks anyway.
Sometimes Gloria will call me with a small list of items she needs at the grocery store, items I pick up when I do my regular shopping. This week it was business envelopes and chocolates (!). I told her I had the purchases in my car, and she said, “Oh, you can just drop them off.” I said “No, I’m coming in because we have to get caught up.”
We met in the lobby of the assisted living facility where she lives. She bought me coffee, and we chatted.
I’d like to say my act of LOVE was to listen, and in fact it was. But truth be told, she ended up doing a lot more listening; I just had so much to tell her.
So, here is what I have to say today about LOVE. First, we all really do loving acts all day long, like shopping for each other, buying coffee, and listening. We just need to notice these acts, and probably try to do them more often. Second, good conversation is one of the most supreme acts of LOVE. It lets me know that I and my trifling stories are worthwhile, and it lets the other person know that they are worthy of my attention and LOVE, which indeed they are.