When I love someone, even a little, I have no problem expressing it, because love is what so many people need to get by in this world. One of my friends described it perfectly for me this summer: I have so much love within me that by showing others they too are loved appreciated and adored- I gain a sense of reassurance that for this moment at least everything is Okay.
I’d say that love is my superpower!
I learned how to love while growing up in a community that always needed an extra bit of it. So if you’re ever in a position where you want to help show your love for others, here are a few tips for spreading the love!
- Being okay with saying “I’m sorry” to others and “I love you” to them
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My mother did not grow up in the best environment for her mental health, she was a victim of several forms of abuse from a young age which she attributes to her Bipolar disorder and an Eating Disorder. As I grew older in her care, her mental and physical health never was hidden and I always knew that my mom was a little different than the other ones. I loved her for that, she was my mom no matter what terrible things I witnessed and was forced to do. Her mind made her unable to love me completely but she loved me as much as she could, and I was so proud of that. I knew that I had to love the world more for all the times my mom never could. So every time something troublesome came up with her, I let her know I still loved her and tried to help her out the best I could.
- Send out “Love” Letters
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I write like I’m running out of time. I’ve been at the college for three weeks and have already written around 25 postcards and letters. Before I came to Wells I always took the time to remind people through “snail mail,” also known as letter writing, that I loved them since not everyone gets paper mail anymore. When I was a little shit of a twelve-year-old my aunt, who had dealt with depression her entire life taught me that by writing letters to her, though I couldn’t always be there to verbally remind her I cared, my letters lasted long enough to provide reassurance that she was loved. Letters of love can go a long way to someone who doesn’t think there is any.
- Showing self-love
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In highschool, I spent the better half of my junior and senior years advocating for a self-love mural on a blank wall in my school to promote positivity. This wall, though small and around a corner, was in a central area of the school where most kids had to travel by in order to get to their basement classes and had a certain negative stigma already attached to it. It was where I found my ex-boyfriend’s niece having her first panic attack. It is where I passed multiple friends consoling each other as they had panic attacks. Hell- it’s where I started a panic attack or two, and because of that it was called the “panic pit.” By painting words of self-love I knew that the next time someone started to feel the world coming down around them, they could look up and see the words of support. Then they could understand sad is okay, and that they deserve to feel but they also deserve to love themselves, one painted word at a time.
- Compliment strangers
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One of the best ways to show you have love to spare is by targeting strangers with that love. During college orientation last month I didn’t gain any fast friends – but I did gain a lot of smiles after I complimented small things people did. Complementing the orientation leaders for being great leaders, the girl in my suite with great music taste, the sophomore who took her time to introduce herself to me (and still talked to me after!) during a college tradition. It helped a sense of love and support spread around a place that I was uncomfortable with, and by having a sense of love and support I myself began to feel more comfortable!
- Being there when people need you
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When I was younger there was a youth soccer league during the late spring that everyone participated in- no matter what school you went to in the area, and even my stormy eyed mother saw this as a great way to get out of all my built up energy afterschool. When I was seven, only three years into the league, I hurt my wrist really bad and my coach sent me to help out with the kindergarteners practice to keep me from finding my way onto the field. That’s when I met Talia curled into a little ball on the sidelines because the passing drills were stressing her out. I sat down with her, we shared my goldfish, and our friendship was born. And only five years later when Talia was at long last diagnosed with Anxiety and Depression did I realize I’ve always had to love a little bit more around her. When I got to highschool without her, I began sending her a message of support before school every morning and she’d send one right back. On multiple accounts,she’s told me that these messages are what help her learn to love herself as much as I love her, and that’s everything I want to hear.
I hope these tips can help you spread all the love you want too. I want my love to inspire others to love twice as much, because you deserve to love you always have. All of these people have told me that they love me as much as they can, and that’s perfectly okay for me. If as much as you can is all you have it’s everything I need because Love is a superpower that I’ll always be willing to share.