This is so beautiful Ben! As I was reading, I was identifying the ways in which I withhold love in my life today and I feel grateful for people like you who help steer me back. You do radiate love like a lamp ❤️
Ben.Yo! Your wonderful words and willingness to be vulnerable resonate deeply within me. Thank you for helping me rethink my love losses and try to move on without resentment. Powerful. I think my superpower is resilience. We are traveling similar paths to realize how being loving and kind is free and liberating. Peace out boy scout!
Sometimes the action doesn’t look like action or is simply a decision made internally, e.g. not responding, letting someone “off the hook” when they do something I don’t like, not retaliating, not defending, etc.
And love isn’t always pretty, either. It’s not always easy to discern the loving action and sometimes the action may not appear to be loving to an observer. I have to defer to higher principles and inspiration and possibly even make mistakes.
This is exactly what I was before sobriety:
"What I loved was your approval – your attention."
After sobriety: "The gift of loving people is that I become a loving person."
Glad we are on this sober journey together.... x
That’s right. Let’s GO!!!
Ben you are a gorgeous writer. And so far, to me, it seems, a wonderful human as well! Sometimes it takes a while to get there though, doesn’t it.
Looking forward to more of the story.
Wow.
Thank you Jojo. I’m doing my best, full of flaws, like anyone, I suppose.
I feel the gravity of the responsibility to take care of everyone I encounter more now than ever.
It’s a tall order but a goal I can reasonably aspire to.
Thank you for taking the time to read, to comment and for your encouragement!
Love is not just a four-letter word. It is many things to many people. Thanks for sharing your take on this vast topic.
This is so beautiful Ben! As I was reading, I was identifying the ways in which I withhold love in my life today and I feel grateful for people like you who help steer me back. You do radiate love like a lamp ❤️
Ben.Yo! Your wonderful words and willingness to be vulnerable resonate deeply within me. Thank you for helping me rethink my love losses and try to move on without resentment. Powerful. I think my superpower is resilience. We are traveling similar paths to realize how being loving and kind is free and liberating. Peace out boy scout!
Good luck! 😉
Good luck.
Sounds like an interesting path your life took. (Or should I say that you took a path that made life more interesting and challenging for you?)
Either way, you emerged with love. That's pretty cool.
Thanks for reading. There’s only so much time in a day, so I appreciate it.
Iso very beautiful. In times of my life, I have felt almost all of those emotions.
Loved every word of this. Thank you for putting it out into the world 🤍
Love is an action, not a feeling — when I understood this I experienced a very similar change to what you outline here.
Absolutely.
Sometimes the action doesn’t look like action or is simply a decision made internally, e.g. not responding, letting someone “off the hook” when they do something I don’t like, not retaliating, not defending, etc.
And love isn’t always pretty, either. It’s not always easy to discern the loving action and sometimes the action may not appear to be loving to an observer. I have to defer to higher principles and inspiration and possibly even make mistakes.
Thanks for reading!
Wow!! Nicely done.
Thank you. It means a lot to me that you took the time, not only to read, but to comment.
Gah. Thank you for your honesty. This is so beautiful.
Thank you. Sincerely.
We will thrive when we do!