The Gift

I'll never forget what happened this year on Christmas Day or how it made me feel.

Christmas is a time for gift-giving, and I got an unexpected and wonderful gift. It was delivered right inside the studio walls at Yoga Nyla.

I was teaching a class at the studio that morning, and the room was packed with community members, most of whom were people I know and who come to the studio often.

At the end of the class, I did what I always do when the movement ceases, and everyone lies in Savasana; I sat up and witnessed them.

As my eyes scanned the room, I noticed something different from what I usually see, and what I witnessed then brought me to tears. I remember crying to the point I couldn't stop. In fact, I was sobbing. I was doing my best to hold back the sound. I didn't want to take people out of their deep rest.

I saw a man sit up from Savasana, grab the cold towel made for him, and use it to massage his wife's feet. But it wasn't just any massage. The way he touched her was one of the most loving touches I have ever seen between two people. With every stroke of his hand, it was as if he was saying, "I love you, I am here, and I care." He touched her so lovingly, so gently that I can still cry about it today. He poured his love into each stroke of his hand. He poured his heart through his hands onto her feet.

I almost couldn't finish class because I couldn't talk through my tears. I chose to speak and cry at the same time. The class could tell that I was crying.
As I greeted people by the door on their way out, someone walked up to me and said, "Diana, I started crying when you were crying." That's when I told her why. She responded, "Were you crying because you wish someone would do that for you? "My immediate answer was, "No. I cried because I was grateful that someone loved her like that."

I wasn't crying for what wasn't there.  I was crying about what was here.

Love is here.

xo,
Diana