Let’s celebrate love. Real love. Not just today but every day. Today is a day some celebrate romance. To others, it’s single awareness day. To children, they celebrate every one they love. I like that. When did we go from spreading love to everyone around us to just “loving” that one special person? With the awareness I have today, I feel that I understand a bit more about love.
I used to associate the word “love” with romance. I wanted someone to love me. I wanted the hearts, the flowers, the chocolate, the beautiful messages, and all that amazing stuff you see in the movies. I wanted the fantasy and I had it, a few times, actually. Then, I started learning that love, real love, was about loving myself and everyone, including those I didn’t like that much. Yeah, that was a rude awakening. I wasn’t ready for that. I am still trying to process that, to be honest.
To really love someone is to accept them for who they are, the good and the bad. To love is to allow love in, even if you feel you don’t deserve it. To truly love is to love those who have hurt us and who we may not like so much. To really understand love we need to love ourselves. Why? Because love comes from within and, believe it or not, we are all connected. We are all deserving of love. Trust me, we come into this world to be loved and to love.
Sometimes I wish I could go back to being unconscious but, truth is, I can’t. So, this new me is trying to spread love and send loving kindness to all living beings because that’s what love is all about. It starts with me. I love and accept myself as the imperfect being that I am. I can now look in the mirror and see this woman who has been through so much and who is still standing. I can look at someone who has hurt me and feel compassion and love because they too have been through a lot. Do I get mad? Absolutely! Sometimes I just want to hate on someone who has done me wrong. I throw myself a little pity party and then, I sit still, take a breath and send love to myself and to others.
I am grateful to have been exposed to Buddhist monks and to the many spiritual teachers throughout my life. Today I may not celebrate the same type of Valentine’s Day you do. But whatever you choose to celebrate, do it with an open heart and without expectations. Accept love and give love. As my spiritual teacher says: “our inner energy creates our outer reality.” That means, the more we love ourselves, the more we will be open to receiving and giving love. I think we all want that, right?
Much love to us all!
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