I’ve been loving the wrong way. I try to love others the way I need to be loved. I got it backwards.
Each person has their own language in regards to love. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman describes each of them beautifully. We try so hard to get people to love us the way we want to be loved, yet we still try to love others in our own way, instead of theirs.
It’s not like we are taught this growing up, at least I wasn’t. It’s something I’m still learning to do myself.
We all want to love, and to be loved. Isn’t that a universal need? When it feels unmet, we cling to those identities. And then punish ourselves for the ways we try to meet our unmet needs. Maybe it’s societal conditioning, but we humans love to suffer. We cause ourselves more pain, trying to live up to these standards.
Do I even want those standards? Not really. I want something different, something that deviates from the norm. I guess I just want what everyone wants, someone or a family of someones to love me in all my weirdness. Even if you don’t understand it, even if it confuses you to no end.
Belonging. Be longing. We are all just longing to be, aren’t we? To be ourselves. To be loved. To love in return. To be a part of something.
Mad love, Jenna
