Lesslee Dort

Trust is tough. Vulnerability is scary. And life teaches us that time is fleeting, often beyond our control. We cling to what we know, to what once was, but joy and peace don’t solely reside in the past or in the “what could have been.” They also exist in the present moment if we embrace what is.

When we allow ourselves to accept the now — no matter how foreign or uncomfortable — it can open the door to something unexpectedly beautiful.

Love and acceptance are key to this transformation. Love is like an equation: it needs both giving and receiving, input and output, to thrive. Think of a garden. Love is full of potential, but dependent on how it’s tended. Left untended, weeds of resentment or neglect can take root, but with care, love can flourish in even the most difficult environments. A garden can’t bloom in a vacuum, and neither can love. Love flourishes when it is freely given and shared, and when we are open to receiving it.

Together, we can cultivate something larger than ourselves — a garden of connection, understanding, and growth.

A friend recently brought this truth full circle for me. She showed me a card I had sent her months ago. As I read the words, tears welled up in my eyes. The message I had written for her was exactly what I needed to hear at that very moment. I was stunned by more than just the timing of it all. I remembered writing the card, remembered what prompted me to craft those specific words, but I hadn’t realized at the time that I was writing the very message I would someday need myself. And I never considered she would save it and share it with me anew. It’s one of those moments when the universe’s wisdom surprises you, reminding you of the ways life works in mysterious, beautiful cycles.

The card was about trust and vulnerability, about how what we thought was perfect at one time always seems to shift as we grow accustomed to new situations. We hold on so tightly to what we believe was the best, forgetting that we’ve been through this before. We’ve adapted to the new normal time and time again. Our perspectives evolve, and our expectations shift with them.

It’s a message I repeat often to myself. I’m certain I do so because the situations of the world require me to hear it. Life is complicated. Serious issues weigh heavily on us. In the midst of complexity, we must remember to stay clear-headed, to walk a righteous path, and to remain focused on what is real in the present moment. It’s easy to get lost in what was or what might have been, but our true strength lies in accepting and embracing what is.

Choosing to love or to be loved takes courage. Vulnerability and love are deeply intertwined. You can’t love without exposing yourself to hurt, betrayal, or disappointment. To care for someone, and to allow someone to care for you, means giving up a part of yourself — letting go of control, of certainty. It’s terrifying. It’s also necessary. Many people shy away from fully opening themselves up because of how daunting it feels.

But love demands compromise, and there is something soothing, even empowering, about that. It baffles me when people see compromise as a negative thing. Compromise means you care enough about a situation, a person, or a relationship to help build something strong.

In loving relationships, you must let go of certain things, even if that means letting go of a person or situation. That’s where the real challenge lies, accepting the impermanence of life and relationships. But if we can embrace the changes with love — both for ourselves and for others — we can find beauty even in loss. Love softens the edges of what is difficult. It reminds us that what is gone is not forgotten, and what remains is a new opportunity for growth.

As Joseph Campbell said, “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

This doesn’t mean we abandon all hopes, dreams, and aspirations. But rather, it hints at maintaining a balance between having our life laid out in every detail, and being open to life’s surprises.

Ultimately, letting go and embracing the new, while terrifying, can lead to a deeper sense of peace.

When we infuse love into the inevitable changes of life, we don’t just survive them — we transform them into something beautiful.

Lesslee Dort, a native of Northeast Michigan, is drawn to the outdoors to restore balance. A board-certified patient advocate, Lesslee firmly believes knowledge is power and learning is constant. She is always willing to help others help themselves. Reach Lesslee via email at regardingthejourney@lesslee.com. Read her here the third Thursday of each month.