Love

19 February 2014 I was looking out for 'synchronicities' last week - and had to laugh when this card came up, the day before Valentine's Day. I've been reading a lot about 'self-care' recently, and sometimes writing here too, but I am not sure if I have focused in much on 'self-love'. Thinking about that, I decided to try the exercise of writing a 'love letter to my body'. However, when I came to write in my journal one morning, my first thought was that I didn't 'deserve' a love letter to my body. Then I laughed at myself a little - and realised that I especially deserved, and needed to write that day, when I was feeling tired and a little unwell and unhappy with myself. At first I was not sure I would share it, but of course you, my dear friends and constant supporters, will be my witness and hold the space for me to share in safety as always - thank you.   "Dear Body, Thank you for being my home for all these years. For healing so miraculously after cuts and bruises and burns. Even dealing with huge 'insults' such as major surgery as best you can. Please forgive me for the times I insult you myself, cursing the aches and the imperfections, making things worse by blaming you and by thinking negative thoughts. I'm sorry, please forgive me, I love you. I love everything about you and I am honoured to have the privilege of caring for you and being within you. I celebrate the way you have gone through more than 61 years of growing and changing and living. I love your green/hazel eyes, your gracefully greying hair, your well-earned wrinkles and laughter lines. I love your hands which reminded my niece of her mother's (my sister's), and are looking more and more like my mother's hands. I love the brain/mind that thinks, solves problems and creates. I love being here, a soul in a beloved body, sharing this time and space with other souls embodied to be love and create joy. Thank you. I love you." After I had written this I felt tearful,  I don't often take time for the experience of expressing love for myself, any aspect of myself, despite having read many writers' words on the subject. I also realised that there were many parts of my body I had not included, that I had not expressed love for - maybe that is for 'love letter number two'. If I start letting my internal critic pipe up and start suggesting 'improvements' or 'omissions', then I am not expressing self-love and acceptance of who I am. Today this is the piece I have written, and this is the piece that is taking a little courage to include here and prepare to press the 'send' button once again. So I am listening to my 'cheerleaders' not the critics, and I will also send you this photo - one I think I may have used before is but particularly appropriate this week. I bought it from the wonderful artist Fleur Barnfather, at an event in London on 22 February 2011 - the day of the huge earthquake in New Zealand. My heart was breaking until I received news that all my family there were safe and continued to ache for everyone who was caught up in that traumatic natural disaster where so many people were killed, injured and lost their homes. So, this little heart is very precious to me and symbolises the invincibility of the human spirit that was demonstrated so movingly, then, and in all such events as the occur around the world. 'Love' covers so many things: love for family and friends; the love that summons the courage that allows someone to risk themselves to save another in danger; the love we feel for our extraordinary world and everything within it, and surrounding us in the Universe. Highlighting as I have the aspect of love for the self is not 'selfish' or unheeding of the needs of others. Quite the opposite: in the same way that to heal others I must first know how to heal myself; to give to others I first need to nourish myself to have something to give; so to love deeply I have first to truly love and accept myself. As has been written, if my well is empty no one can drink from it - how best can I fill my well in this moment and then go out into the world able to love and give, and serve others, and dance with joy? The deep pink of the card brings to me a feeling of grace and ease, of being surrounded by love and laughter. As always, please feel free to comment below with your thoughts and comments.  If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page. Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings. Until next time, with love, Mary *if you have any difficulty accessing the 'blogspot' service, you can also read here on the Daring to Blossom website, or find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.