Spreading the Love around

“A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

When it comes to the people closest to us, there are many different types of love, be it romantic, platonic or unconditional. We hold a special place in our heart for the ones we love. The Greeks actually had eight different classifications for love, including universal love (agape) and self-love (philautia). If we are doing life right, I feel we experience all the different healthy variations of love during our lifetime. Moreover, if we are really doing it right, I feel we should continuously be expressing the love we feel for others, ourselves and life in general.

I have to admit, I sometimes struggle to show love to the people who mean the most to me, including myself. It’s not that I do not have love to give. I know it requires little effort on my part. I have noticed how sometimes it can take a bit of courage to express love toward people who I have said “I love you” to countless times. Why? I cannot pinpoint the reason for that. I always feel better after telling and showing people how much I love them. I don’t get strange reactions. I get love in return. It’s a win-win interaction.

Photo by Shihab Nymur on Unsplash

I feel like part of me can be afraid of expressing love, even toward those closest to me, like family and lifelong friends. It’s weird. I…