Loving Others

"When we really love others, we accept them as they are" - Edward Ford


I saw this quote today and, I must admit, it was a small slap in the face for me and my New Year's Resolution to love unconditionally. Loving unconditionally is no small feat mind you, but it seems like its been even harder for me since I made it a personal resolution to focus more on. That sounds almost like an oxymoron doesn't it? "Focus more" on loving unconditionally? It's supposed to come naturally isn't it?! Unfortunately, I have learned of myself, it is more of a conscious decision than a natural gift. I get upset so easily when something doesn't happen the way I think that it should. I get all bent out of shape when someone doesn't call me back or reply to my email or when I get all super-over-the-top excited for something and no one else shares my enthusiasm. When those things happen I am not being very unconditional or very loving at all. Instead, I waste all of my energy being bummed out sitting in the corner with my feelings hurt. Well, in my attempt to love more unconditionally this year, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about people as well as myself and I came to this realization recently: I expect people to be just like I am. It's true. If I'm excited I want everyone around me to be equally excited for the exact same thing even if it that thing has nothing to do with them. If I want to jump up and down to go out and run a race or become passionate about a cause, I am expecting that everyone else want to run that same race with me or invest their time and energies into the same cause that I am passionate about. Well, here is what I have learned: People are all different. People get excited about things that are way different than things I get excited about and they want to spend their energy being passionate about things that are very different than the things that I invest myself in. And you know what? THAT IS OKAY!! I shouldn't be less excited about things or less involved or send less correspondence just because they are not reciprocated because in doing those things I am being ME. But being me does not mean that everyone else has to be me too and I feel so selfish for even thinking it for so long! Just as I will get excited about things that those around me have no interest in, lots of people are going to do the same thing and that is okay because they are being themselves and being passionate about their own things just as I am being. So, there it is, my slap in the face from a quote I saw today. I think it has a lot to do with unconditional love. And it's me saying "If I really love you I will accept you just as you are even if who you are may be very different from who I am."




After that little self realization I will leave you with 2 pictures from my recent trip to Iowa :-)
Ben and I touring Iowa State's Campus

Lancelot and Elaine: you can read all about their history here.

It's not always easy to realize your own faults and short-comings, but it is such a relief when you figure out another small part of who you are.

"When we really love others we accept them as they are"

I'll try to be better about that and I hope that you will afford me the same grace in accepting me just as I am :-)