Love Is Hard
By Carey McDonald, Terasa Cooley
Love is hard.
Love for people, especially those who are different from you.
Love that says “I see you as a person.”
Love that says “let your unique light shine in the world” because each of our souls touches the divine mystery.
Love that says “we’re on a journey together, and my fate is tied up with yours.”
Love that grabs you and won’t let go until your whole life is dedicated to siding with love.
Love that changes the world.
Love is hard. Do it anyway.
These are the words that come to mind whenever I reflect on whether or not I’m showing up in a loving way. They remind me how to show up in a loving way. They motivate me to breathe in for just a few moments and dig into what I’ve been avoiding so that love shows up and transformation can take place. I have a poster with these words on it in my office. You are welcome to come in and reflect on them with me.
Love is hard. Do it anyway.
I am reminded that showing up in a loving way is not about my comfort (and in fact, may be really uncomfortable for me) but about working towards healing for others who are hurt and struggling.
Love that says “we’re on a journey together, and my fate is tied up with yours.”
Love is about listening so that we can adjust our behavior in a way that reflects that we understand the ways in which others feel loved, and not hurt by us.
That is really hard because changing our behavior can be uncomfortable work and we don’t always understand other people very well.
Love for people, especially those who are different from you.
But working through the discomfort is worth it because it helps us to understand, and we all get to a more joyful place. Love is most transformational when we work hard at it.
How do you engage in love? Is it hard? Is it world changing?