Can we learn to love this world? It’s an imperfect world of loss, pain and daunting challenges. Those we love may die at any moment. Our own lives may be compromised or lost without warning.

Corruption, genocide, and destruction of our planet’s resources are rampant. On an individual level, millions of people struggle with job loss, lack of health care and threatened foreclosure of their homes. As I write these words, millions of Brazilians people suffer in the lines at the hospitals. The extent to which our nation has become politically polarized is disturbing.

Change comes hard. In marriage, in our personal journeys, and in politics we come to change kicking and screaming. We change out of necessity, or out of wisdom. Rumi says human beings change through grace.

Emotional maturity requires being able to contain polarities within ourselves–to understand that every human being has the capacity for both the glorious and the terrible. The existence of corruption negates neither the incalculable beauty of our natural world, nor the never ending human capacity for forgiveness, courage and redemption.

Wisdom means loving it all–the struggle, the drama, the fear, the joy. May the jaguar be our teacher. May we think of the jaguar and her wordless love….♥