In the Christian tradition, Christmas is the celebration of God’s gift of himself to us as a little child. This is a gift of love.
As I reflect over this past year (as I often do at this time), I have recognized a special lesson that I have learned this year: I can’t give what I don’t have.
As I am sure is the case with many of us, I have the strong and sometimes desperate desire to be a good husband, father, friend, and help to those I serve.
God can give a gift of love only because He is Love Itself. I can only give of what I have stored up in my heart. I can only give love to others inasmuch as I have love in my own heart.
Brene Brown says we can’t love anyone else in our lives — our kids, our partners, our friends, anyone — until we’ve truly learned to love ourselves. Obviously, I am not referring to some purely selfish or narcissistic love, but a true love of acceptance, gratitude and, when necessary, forgiveness of ourselves.
I have enjoyed the experience of becoming more aware of my need to love myself more authentically this year. I have taken some initial, mostly faltering steps on that journey.
As long as I have to go and as little distance as I have been able to journey so far, I have recognized that inasmuch as I have learned to accept, value, thank, and forgive myself, it has been exponentially easier to do the same toward those around me.
No matter what your beliefs or religious tradition or lack thereof, I sincerely wish for you and all you care about a greater appreciation and love of yourself this coming year. If we all learned to love ourselves more truly and authentically, I know this world would be a better place for us all.
