Love.

It has been a little over two months since I began my life here at Camphill, which is baffling to me, because living here has felt like I'm in a time-warp: where days can feels like weeks, and weeks can feel like days. I remember so clearly arriving here and my first days that feel like just yesterday, but I have such a strong sense of home and comfort and connection to it that it feels as though I've been here for years. The last two months have been incredible: they have been challenging to me in ways that I didn't know existed, they have had me grow so much as a person. In view of the course of a lifetime, eight weeks is such a small fraction, just a blink of an eye, but I have learned so much about myself, about other people, about life itself, in this blink of my lifetime. I have learned to keep the stove flame on low and gradually decreased the number of smoke alarms I have set off: and this lesson that I learned in the practical sense has taught me patience, which in turn provides the grounds for so many of my relationships with people here. I have also learned how important it is to be honest: honesty is something that was always preached in my family, but honesty is so much more than not lying. Honesty is an active practice, where we are open about our emotions, how we feel about one another. With underlying concepts of honesty and forgiveness, I have developed these inredible, deep, strong and pure relationships with various people. I have finally been able to express without hesitation to my loved ones how much I care about them. Recently, I spoke to my father about how connected I felt to him when I was surrounded by cows and following that, learned that we have the same nickname from our respective close friends. It blew my mind that I had never known that about him, and that connection that we shared but by being honest with him about that connection, I learned something that brought us closer together. Honesty isn't just about admitting your mistakes or being open about your flaws: you could spend a decade with somebody and have so much love for them, but if you don't express that to them, it might ruin a love that was beautiful and unconditional. The most dangerous thing in the world is pretending that you don't care. So give more hugs. Ask for more hugs when you need them. Ask for them even you don't need them. Don't pretend that you're busier than you are, that you care less than you do, that you have better things you do. That instance of vulnerability that you allow to penetrate through the cracks of your soul will shine like a beacon of light and will make you even stronger than you were before. Open your heart up to love and you'll find how much of a deeper connection you will have with them, how much more you will appreciate them, appreciate yourself, feel a stronger sense of self and be even more open to love. This doesn't limit itself to romantic love, which is perhaps the most visibly expressed. To the people in your life who you look forward to seeing every day, who light up the room when they come in, who make your day just a little bit better: let them know. Life is way too short to hold back or to be indifferent. I have been more passionate and open and loving and grateful, romantically and otherwise, in the last eight weeks than I have in my entire life, and I wish for all human beings to embrace the love that's around them completely. Life is so so beautiful. And I am running out of words to gush about it. I've also completely lost my train of thought. But whoever you are out there, I'm sending you love and laughter and joy and gratitude. Hope you're having a beautiful day. Tanvi