Love Survives.

Survive: continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship. 

In the middle of an otherwise mundane afternoon of work, their anxious joy jarred me away from my computer.  The mother beamed with a smile and looked to her husband to share this overwhelming good news. I waited eagerly to see how I might be able to help them. I could make out most of the words as they spoke to me while gazing back at each other to confirm that their words made sense.  It was probably obvious I do not speak a Spanish. They stretched beyond their own comfortability to tell me this great news. Their daughter had made First Communion in 2011 and they finally decided it was time to part with her dress.  They came to my office to donate it, in hopes that some other girl may feel the pure excitement and love their daughter did the day she wore it.  The mom lovingly pointed out every detail of the dress as she handed it to me to pass on. She then sent her husband back to the car to round up the crown, the crown she said, and he complied.  In came a treasure chest with a sweetly woven crown. I have received countless donations like this in my years in the office, but this one stood out. It stood out for the pure enthusiasm that came with the passing on of something so treasured. I cannot help but wonder if I pass on my moments of joy in the same way. On Sunday we celebrate the greatest, most joyous, moment in all our lives. We celebrate the day God’s Reckless love conquers death.  Do we pass on our moments in that reckless love to others? Do we bring them those same kinds of moments? That dress could have hung in the closet of that couple for a lifetime and never saw the light of day again. But instead, with joy, love lives on. Instead, with joy, love survives.