The year 2020 has been one of many thoughts, triumphs, failures and lessons. Witnessing a collective shift in spiritual consciousness as it regards the laws of abundance made me curious about how I view my abundant rights with material things and how that differs when it comes to intangibles - specifically love. The need to bring myself out of anxiety perpetuated by heartache made me question why I feel that love is lacking in my life if there is no romantic love present, especially when there are so many different forms of love as well as so many physical manifestations of them actively happening right now.

Discussions with friends from other countries brought to light how Western civilization depicts love in comparison to other parts of the world. With romantic love being the thing to aspire to, especially projected onto American women since birth these depictions have created an illusion that if romance is not present, life is void of love. As my belief in my right to abundance grew I started to worry less about essential material things i.e. money, housing, clothes, food etc. I feel comfortable knowing that I have everything I need at all times and even the things I may be missing are on it’s way to me through the power of manifestation and my divine abundant right. Yet, when it comes to love I still find myself practicing habits and using language that acutely contradict the belief in my own abundance.

One cliché phrase that has become alarming is “the love of my life.” The idea that there is only one love of my entire life has subconsciously created an attachment to the fear of finding that love and losing it. This kind of attachment is what keeps people in relationships that do not serve them. As I work through my own lessons and try to hold myself accountable I maintain that love is just as abundant as materials and money are. It doesn’t begin or end with one individual. Losing “the love of your life” is a fear narrative and letting go of that illusion invites love to be with you eternally in all ways. Love is infinite.

During times when I felt loveless I never stopped to look at the ways love has always been present around me. Some things can only be realized in hindsight. I see old memories of love very clearly now.

Love looks like:

Angels

Russ Hamilton shooting the late J. Scott

Art

Brotherhood

Owner of Pakkard Studio Rick Dove (Right) and his best friend Tristan (Left)

Community

An opening night at Pakkard Studio with friends from Japan and Downtown LA

Faith

Virgin Mary beaded curtain at my abuela’s house in Harlem

Fatherhood

Motherhood

Mother and daughter enjoying The Roots Picnic

Music

Platonic Friendship

Self Care

Self (this was actually 2018 not ‘98 lol)

Sisterhood

Wisdom

Youth

New York’s children still play in fire hydrant water

- Annessa De La Cruz

Love Looks Like...