You Are My Sunshine -- Light Up the Sky.

I've been seeing this poem circulating around. I had to share it with everyone.

Even
After
All this time
The Sun never says
To the Earth
"You owe me."

Look

What happens
With a love like that.
It lights the

Whole

Sky.

This poem is short. It's so short that when I go back to read it, it's basically memorized. The most amazing part is how I find it absolutely beautiful every time I go back to it. It is only outdone by my favorite piece of poetry, All That is Gold Does Not Glitter from the LOTR books. If you're not familiar with it, look it up. It's perfect.

This poem resonates with me so much because it reminds me of my parents. For those of you who have never met the people who brought me into this world, I will explain. I have those parents that are disgustingly and unapologetically in love. They hug and smooch, they rarely argue, they hold hands in public, and it will always light up my sky. My parents had a very balanced relationship. My mom didn't do all the typical "mom" things, and my dad didn't always do the typical "dad" things. They play on the strengths of the other; they never put a debt in front of each other.

This expands to more than just our romantic relationships. You can apply this to both your friends and family. It can be difficult. We live in a culture that dictates "time is money". You work for us? We owe you money. You need a ride somewhere? You owe gas money. You needed a DD at 3am, after I was in bed? You owe me BIG TIME. We all do it. We value our time and our possessions. When we are asked to give, we expect to be rewarded in a similar manor. It's a cultural standard, and it's damaging. When we are in someone's debt, or holding a debt to someone, resentment builds. Resentment is dangerous; it kills love.

So what happens when we strip away that phrase? Love begins to build. It begins to light up the sky. You start looking at those around you differently. You stop seeing what people owe you, and start seeing who they are. When you do that, you can pour so much love and appreciation into the people around you.

Try to love like the Sun. If you're not sure what that looks like, find two people who love each other so wholly that they exude joy. That's what loving like the Sun looks like. My example is my parents. You may find something else. We'll all have bad days. We'll all want justice and fairness in our relationships. Just give without expecting. That's the kind of love that lights the whole sky.