Love Surprise

Happy Valentine’s Day! Sending you good wishes for an abundance of love and a reminder – keep your heart open for love surprises. They are all around, but easy to miss if you close your heart and mind to them.

Here are two amazing love surprises that came into my life.

How do you get a grandson? Just teach a seminar about Desire in The Netherlands, of course! During a “Desire Marks the Path seminar in Utrecht two years ago I mentioned that I did not have grandchildren. A lovely woman named Els came up at a break and told me that her son, Siem, did not have any grandmothers. “Hmm...” we said smiling.

Els went home and told Siem, “I think I found a grandmother for you, but there is one problem – she lives in America.” “America?!?” Siem replied with a big grin.

And so we began. Siem drew grandson-pictures for me. I sent him some cards and a grandmotherly birthday present.

This Christmas Els, Siem and his dad, Kees came to visit. My son Barnaby was with his girlfriend’s family and I shared the holiday with my surprise Dutch family. The amazing thing is that from the moment they arrived we felt like family – all 4 of us. Here we are at a favorite Cathedral city Mexican restaurant the night before they left.

By definition, love surprises come when you least expect them. A couple of weeks ago, I spoke to a very large group at the Betty Ford Center’s Alcohol Awareness Hour about “Making Peace with the Past.”

I talked about my father, and writing “Travelling Free: How to Recover from the Past.” (order info at http://www.mandyevans.com/ ). For the first time, I talked publicly about my childhood.

I told them that when I graduated from highschool, my father came and brought me a watch. I did not see him or hug him or hear him say how proud he was of me. My mother sent him away because he was drunk. I was mad at her and heartbroken for him.

At the end of the program a burly man, about my age, approached me. He said, "That story about when you graduated from highschool, that was for me. That was me, standing outside a chain-link fence with a bottle in my hand watching my child graduate. His eyes filled with tears and mine did too. We hugged each other and held on for a moment. It felt like being held in one big heart that encompassed all time and space to let a father and child share a love surprise about a highschool graduation -- and gratitude for making peace with the past.

Whether you are in a romantic relationship or on your own now, love is all around! Flowers and chocolates are nice to give and receive. Don’t forget to be open to giving a receiving amazing love surprises too -- far beyond anything you thought of.

I hope you will share your thoughts and love surprises here!

With an abundance of love for you,
Mandy