Love

“Why do you think you were born?” he asked, as if trying to uncover some nugget of detail about who I really was. “LOVE.” The word blurted out of my mouth with unwavering certainty, like there was no greater truth in the world. I have no idea how I came to this thought, but it was so loud and sudden in my head that it seemed ridiculous if I didn’t immediately cough it up. “So I can be a conduit for all forms of love,” I added. “Love of family, love of a partner, love of children, love of community, and ultimately love of myself.” I declared those words 23 years ago, and I still stand by them today. Although I can’t say that love has lived through me perfectly, or that I haven’t been scarred deeply when the terrain became difficult to navigate, but I do know this. Love has shined its brightest in my life whenever I released the judgment of myself. #selflove