Act #2: Amor Vincit Omnia: Love Conquers All

Published: Jan 14, 2015

She stands there, ‘there’ being a line. A line between giving up and seeing how much more she can take. She stands, feeling alone, apart from others, no clue which step is the correct one. She stands there in fear. Fear of judgment, ridicule, and mockery. This fear is not fair, arranged only because of her experience. Her experiences are not ones that someone should ever live through with the word HOMELESS invisibly written across her forehead. She stands there, outside, freezing. Freezing due to the cold temperatures, icy also because she has no one to love. But look at her, she stands.

I stand there, ‘there’ being a line. A line between the cashier and door. I stand, feeling irritated, too close to others, no clue how long this wait will be. I stand there in frustration. Frustrated in my lack of time, planning, and preparation. This frustration is fair, arranged only because of my coupon. My coupon for a large hot tea from McDonald's stares back at me with the word FREE written across it. I stand there, inside, warm. Warm due to the hot temperatures, hearty also because I have the world to love. But look at me, I stand.

I waited. I received my free large hot tea. Yummy, I thought. The warmth coming from the container was appealing as I still had to walk about a half mile home. As soon as I walked outside, there she was, standing. I couldn't do it, just walk past her, it was too cold. I gave her my tea. I promised her I hadn't drank from the container yet, and I made her promise to me a smile.

She smiled.

I continued my walk across the intersection, and I looked back once more. Not only was she smiling, but waving, as she stood, beaming in beauty. A smile not filled with teeth, but with love. Not only did she smile and wave, but she shared. She shared her tea with about anyone and everyone as she poured the contents into others’ glasses.

As she stood there, and I stood over here, I realized that I had been wrong. Correct, in that she was homeless, but absolutely incorrect that she had no love. Her unfortunate living conditions, suggested almost the opposite: her love was infinite. Her love stretched as far as the eye could see, stretching all the way to me.

Her name, I do not know, but what I do know is that love defeats everything. I now understand that in order to fully accept love, we must give freedom to make choices that we, ourselves, may not have chosen. Without her, I would have never been able to fully appreciate this concept.

Therefore, she deserved a name. To me, her name is Amor Vincit Omnia.

Amor Vincit Omnia: Love Conquers All

Thank you, Amor, for all the good I thought I did for you, you have doubled back to me. Amor stood, Amor stands, oh yes she does.

-Happiness in Handfulls