Reflection of Self LOVE Challenge

Yesterday, August 20, 2014, I put out a challenge on my SOLSPEAKS™ Facebook page, on my personal timeline to all my friends and family, and to all of the people in most of the Facebook groups in which I am a member. 

I wrote: “I have been seeing all these Ice Bucket challenges for ALS on Facebook with video proof.  I am now challenging all of you, Beloveds: I am certain that we (all or most of us) believe that our external world is a reflection of our internal world. As such, I am challenging each of you to become aware of all the subtlest to all of the most magnificent experiences of LOVE that are showing up in your external world. Document them as you become aware of them, and when you reach 100, video yourself sharing your 100 expressions of Self LOVE!  Please remember to tag me when you post your video or share it on the Sol Speaks timeline so that I can see your beautiful Soul!”

I am participating in my Reflection of Self LOVE Challenge too.  I am checking in to see how everyone is doing.  I am already up to 14 out of 100!!  Today, I am choosing to share number 11 with you because, for me, it is truly spectacular.

While I was sitting on the beach today, I saw a man and his father walking towards me.  I could hear that they were speaking a foreign language, and we waved at each other , and said “hi.”  Later, I noticed the man was playing with two young sons, the oldest was around 8 and the younger looked about 4.  I saw that the grandfather and the grandmother were with them.  Later, I walked down the beach to take a picture of the closest sea turtle nest before the Sun went completely down.  I walked through the soft sand to the nest, and when I arrived at the nest, I realized the father was sitting on the sand by the water and the grandparents and the two young boys were playing in the water right in front of the turtle nest!

After taking a couple of pictures of the turtle nest, I was ready to go home, and I chose to walk back to my car by the water instead of through all of the soft sand.  Having made this choice, I found myself walking right through this little family.  Once again, we acknowledged each other, and the grandfather held up his hand to me as he came out of the water onto the shore.  I listened to them talking, and I was not sure if they were speaking Romanian, Polish or some other language.  I meandered quite slowly along the water taking more pictures, so I was surprised to find my little foreign family with me as we were all walking up the beach ramp.

The father was with his two boys, taking them to the shower where I was going to rinse off my shoes and feet before getting into my car.  Although I had passed them up, the father, his boys and I were all using the shower at the same time.  I finished first, and I walked across the street to my car.  As I was crossing the street, I saw the grandfather loading beach toys into the back of their truck which was parked right next to my car!  The grandfather looked up and saw me, and I chuckled, obviously because we were seeing each other again.

By the time I was in my car and ready to leave, I could hear the grandfather talking to one of his grandsons.  I began to back up my car very slowly and very carefully while looking all around very alertly for the little boy.  When I got backed up behind their truck, I saw the grandfather and his grandson standing on the other side of it.  They were watching me, and I gave the grandfather a nod of my head to tell him, “Good!  There he is.”  After I put my car from reverse into forward, I looked out my window again, and I saw the grandfather vigorously waving “good-bye” to me.  I was so thrilled to make this connection with him.  I gave him a big smile, stuck my arm out of my car window, and gave him a BIG “good-bye” wave too.

I only got a couple of feet away when I had to stop at the traffic light.  I sat in my car still smiling and thinking about this little foreign family that I had been gifted these moments with.  As I absentmindedly looked into my rearview mirror, I happened to see the father carrying his youngest son across the street from the shower to their truck.  The father had his son wrapped up in a beach towel.  He was holding his son like a baby, and was giving him kisses on his cheek.  In that moment, I realized how much LOVE had been surrounding me from my little “foreign” family.  My heart swelled with Joy, and I smiled to myself again as the traffic light turned green, and I continued on my way home.