Patrice McCauley and Luc Escot
Patrice: We met in the summer of 2010 on an energy healing course in Hawaii. It was clear that we were both attracted to each other. The setting was beautiful; we stayed at a gorgeous retreat, swam with dolphins and studied with a wonderful teacher who created a loving and supportive space.
Luc: This journey with Patrice has completely changed the direction of my life. We both moved to Dublin, and in six months I’ve gone from having a few basic words in English to being almost fluent. I stayed true to my belief in finding love and being in a conscious relationship. Our journey has shown me how a couple can help, support, and accept each other. Through Patrice’s love, I’ve learned to accept myself the way I am and to simply receive love.
Aaron and Sarah Lennon Ross
Aaron: On New Year’s Eve in 2001, we ended up at the same party. We got talking about the book Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain and became immersed in conversation for much of the night. The next day was spent hanging out together at which point Sarah informed me that we were now an item.
Sarah’s perspective on the world and the energy she carries is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. I’ve learned that all of the qualities that are required to be an authentic person are also required for being in an authentic relationship such as being present, following your bliss, and taking full responsibility for your life. I’ve learned that the greater our capacity is for loving ourselves, the greater our capacity for loving others.
Sarah: Aaron and I have a great relationship, and we work at it. We are together ten years this New Year’s and I feel that each year that passes, our lives become infinitely more fulfilling and inspiring. Life itself is not without its challenges, the difference is that now we’ve figured out the tools that help us to take them in our stride. From the beginning we always set time aside at the kitchen table to discuss what was going on with us and how we were feeling in an honest and clear way. We really listen to each other and don’t take things personally anymore. This means that we don’t have arguments and we usually figure out what the real problem is pretty quickly.
Ben Flood and Patricia Fitzsimons
Ben: We met online on the dating agency website match.com. I looked at her photo and saw her in a long dress outside her house with her dog. She seemed like the type of person I wanted to meet. Trish has a really sexy voice on the phone – I even got my friend John to speak to her on the phone and he was bowled over by her voice. When you get separated, things can really seem like nothing is ever going to happen again in your life as regards love and romance. I learned from my relationship with Patricia that I can love again and be loved again.
Patricia: I arranged lunch with Ben. When we met he came across as open, vulnerable, and loving and we had a second date on a beach in Strandhill. I was testing his commitment and he passed with flying colours. We got married last October and while the last year has been a steep learning curve for me – I had lived on my own for 25 years – it has also been the most pleasurable and exciting years of my life. I have learned that I don’t have to be perfect to be lovable, and that a committed relationship provides you with a safe place to be yourself.
Anne Lillis and Victor Terentiev
Anne: I had just performed cabaret in Dublin’s Spiegeltent, experiencing the powerful energy of its Marlene Dietrich history. Victor, a Russian, came up to me. I had just been reading about the romantic Russian painter, Chagall, so I was fascinated. I fell in love with him as we walked through Dublin. We talked for hours. He said he wanted to suck the passion from life’s very marrow. He said it was like he had known me his whole life. For me, it was like a revelation of a love that had always been there, waiting… a dazzling, which was the name of a song I later wrote for him.
Six years later I am still dazzled. I have learned that there may be ancient bonds between men and women, harmonies of swans, that the universe is yearning for them to discover, often after journeys from darkness to light. I have learned that, as a lover, I am the portal to the source of creation and its mysteries. As an artist, I am still working to weave the straw of my limited understanding into gold, worthy of beholding that moment of dazzling.
Victor: I have learned to be patient, more gentle, to just be with Anne… I have learned that everyone is an artist. I have learned new English words like kooky because Anne is kooky. I have learned some Irish: Níl eagla orm. I have no fear. I learned to love.
