I hear a lot of talk going around lately about the idea of “self love.” People are usually referring to the acceptance of one’s bodies, and therefore their own physical flaws. Though I’ve been slightly perplexed about exactly what that means, I know that it goes deeper than that, and must include forgiveness for mistakes and accepting not being perfect on the inside either.
The first definition I found for self love was the following, directly from Google:
“self-love (noun): regard for one’s own well-being and happiness (chiefly considered as a desirable rather than narcissistic characteristic).”
I think that I could agree with that definition, but so many posts on social media shout simply, “love yourself!”–with no instructions. I think that if you might have trouble with the concept of “self love,” think about it as any other sort of appreciation, like flowers.
I absolutely adore flowers. They’re on every street here in Santa Cruz, and they’re as universally beautiful and diverse as smiles (and give a similar feeling). There’s all kinds, and they bend and brown at the tips, and they wilt, but we forgive them because we know that they will always be good to us after all. They bloom so beautifully, and it’s sad to see them fall apart or harden, but if you give them care, they will always continue to grow and make you feel lovely.
Artist- Julianna Chavez
I adore flowers too! We are all special flower that deserve love and appreciation.