When the judge asked us if we were prepared to have our daughter’s adoption finalized, he warned us that this decision was forever. Were we, he asked, prepared to love this child without end? Were we ready to commit to this journey, no matter how overwhelming it might get? We were. -Michael Tino (CLF)
When have you made a commitment of love?
Mania describes a kind of love that is entirely focused on the present moment, on passion or care or the euphoria of new love. When it goes on too long, it is not healthy, but it is natural to sometimes be overwhelmed by love.
When have you been overwhelmed by love?
Compassion for ourselves is a key component of our mental health. It is too easy to fall into a cycle of self-criticism and perfectionism. It is important to learn to forgive ourselves, to treat ourselves as we would want to have our loved ones treated.
How do you stop the cycle of self-criticism?
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?
