It’s Love Month! For me, February is a great month to focus on love not just because it’s Valentine’s Day, but also because there are lots of people I love who have birthdays during the month.
One of those people is ME.
Self centered much?
But seriously. The other day Hannah came home from school to find tulips on the table. Her first question was, “Who brought you flowers?” I answered with, “I brought me flowers.” She was puzzled, but I shared with her that it is important for me to sometimes do something just for me. As a mom I am constantly doing things for all the other people in my sphere, and I love doing that, but if I’m not careful, I can find my own well depleted.
We had an interesting discussion in church on Sunday about loving others despite our differences. It resonated with me deeply. As religious people who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, we are commanded to love everyone. It is a lofty goal that often seems unattainable. Sure, it is easy to love the people we like and are close to (most of the time). But that isn’t true for everyone we meet. The teacher then posed this question: WHY? WHY IS IT SO HARD TO LOVE EVERYONE?
Of course there are many answers. I suggested that one reason is because each of us sees life through our own personal lens. The only person who has looked through all those lenses is the Savior, which is why he understands each of us so personally, but it is often hard for us to understand or relate to people who see things differently than we do.
Another woman’s suggestion hit me hard. She said it is hard to love others because we don’t yet love ourselves enough. We won’t have the energy to expend on loving others if we can’t first find the energy to love ourselves.
I think that’s why I bought myself some tulips.
There are so many things we can do as women to learn to love ourselves like not feeling guilty about taking time for ourselves to exercise or read or be with friends, or coming to a place of positive body image and self love instead of negativity and body bashing, or being okay with not having a perfectly clean house and a perfectly perfect life, or being willing to say no to putting more on our “plates”, or being okay with saying we can’t do something by ourselves and need some help.
I could go on and on. I hope you get my point. Find a way to love yourself this month. Stop beating yourself up. Stop being your own worst critic. Stop thinking you are less than. Stop comparing yourself to others. This is not what God wants for you. He wants you to love yourself. He loves you. He wants you to be happy.
Start today. Go buy your self some tulips! Can’t afford to? Stop all your busyness and read an inspiration book or watch an inspirational You Tube video. Eat a piece of chocolate and don’t think about its relationship to your hips. Call a good friend and have a half hour chat.
BECAUSE YOU ARE AWESOME. AND YOU SHOULD LOVE YOU.
Love, Me
5 comments:
AMEN my friend! This is so true with so many women I love and adore. What is the hurry to be perfect or even capable at everything...it simply won't happen. I love this post and I love you!!!!
Great example for our daughters: showing them that we Moms take care of ourselves, love ourselves and treat ourselves from time to time!
Very cheerful red tulips! I love that you love yourself cuz you're pretty lovable.
Well it's for sure that I love you.
I haven't read your blog in ages, but glad I checked in. I love this post! This is something i have been working on doing in the last year or so. I did not realize how hard it is to unconditionally love yourself, until I focused on it. Being harsh and self-critical is more natural to me. Sad as that is! All women need to be kind, compassionate and merciful to themselves using Christ as their example.
I also wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday! I don't know the exact date, but hope it's a great day!!
Love, Jessie
You are wise, wise, wise! Beautiful flowers seem to have a magical effect.
It was fun talking to you today!
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