I have never understood why we have only one day and month where we really emphasize the
importance of love, nor why we as a culture prioritize monogamous romantic love over all other loves.... Love is the one thing that our world needs more of.... True, selfless, nurturing, fueling love - is the one thing that our world needs more of to continue healing and growing....
I think that so often our culture focuses on romantic love, particularly monogamous romantic love.... that everything else gets lost.... But what if we were able to really shift our view of love - to open it up - to recognize all the ways that love shows up for us and that we can show up for it - all the ways in which we can show it to each other and our world? If we could celebrate love in ALL of its forms?
My friends have often laughed at me that emotions are my superpower (personally I think this is sometimes a curse).... I have been so lucky to have known great love stories of all kinds personally - loves that were open, giving, long lasting, loves that focused on supporting, nurturing and freeing each other.... Loves that were a choice each and every day.... I'm lucky to have such love in my own life and to be able offer it back to others.... Love doesn't know limits - it just is - and it manifests in so many different ways in our lives and each and every one should be recognized and celebrated and nurtured....
"It is good to love many things, for therein lies the
true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much,
and what is done in love is well done." Vincent van Gogh
Love is meant to be freeing, lifting and opening.... to be
giving and warm and safety.... it is not meant to be punishing or jailing or
limiting.... I've already rambled on that before (click here for my ramblings
on love).... Open, giving, nurturing love is the most uplifting and supportive
thing we can offer each other.... It is the greatest gift we can offer
ourselves....
Love is the simplest, freest thing we can offer.... it is the one thing we can offer ourselves and each other that costs us nothing and gives us everything.... it is the one thing that can heal wounds, protect and nuture and strengthen us....
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”― Mother Teresa
What if instead of celebrating love - real rich broad love -
one day a year; we celebrated it and valued it and nurtured it all year
long? all life long? In all the ways that love shows up in our
lives? What if we can stop expecting
everyone's romantic loves to look the same way?
To appreciate and celebrate love in all of the ways it shows up for
everyone? What would the world look like
if we could stop judging the way that people love and instead celebrated and
helped spread love wherever we find it?
What if instead of judging who people love and why - we could just celebrate
love everywhere that it shows up? Yes
love is a risk - love of all kinds (romantic, platonic, self).... but it is the
greatest risk worth taking.... the opening up, the becoming vulnerable.... it
is the hardest and most powerful thing we can do....
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while
loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
― Lao Tzu
Imagine the difference we can make when we begin by offering
ourselves love, loving-kindness, and compassion... And continue to expand that
to all those around us... To our family, to our communities, and most
importantly - to those who we disagree or struggle the most with....
How can we keep working to add to those drops of water....
Let's move mountains.....
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