Learning to love myself fully means learning to love my body, even with its limitations. It means overcoming the internalized messages of ableism taught to me over and over by a society that values “productivity” above inherent worth and dignity. -Michael Tino (CLF)
What messages have you had to overcome in order to love yourself?
The love for self is philautia. It is the opposite of selfishness; rather, it is the love that teaches us to value our own worth and needs. As the song goes “learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.”
How have you learned to love yourself?
A friend I met over two decades ago once said, “There is a difference between falling in love and being in love.” After experiencing both, I know now that if you continually chase after the feelings of the former, you will miss out on the rich landscape of the latter. -Lori Stone (CLF)
What pearls of wisdom have you held on to?
Love is excitement—fireworks and trumpets and chocolates and roses. But it is also companionable quiet as you sit with someone you love and watch the snow fall or the birds fly by or the wind rustle the trees. -Judy DiCristofaro (CLF)
How have you experienced the love of companionable quiet?
The love that lasts through the years is pragma. It is the love one has for those people you know you can count on, the people you don’t even have to say something to in order for them to know what’s on your mind. It is the love of partnership–romantic and otherwise.
What does it mean to you to be a “partner” with someone?
