Do you have love in your life? if so, tell us about it, please!

[Changing4Best]

Do You Have Love In Your Life? If so, tell us about it, please!

It could be from a parent, a sibling, a child, an uncle or aunt, a grandparent, a cousin, or even from some distant relative. It could be from a friend, a group of friends, a spouse, a "significant other" or just a sweetheart. And of course, it could be from a pet or some pets. I've tried to think of all the possibilities here, but I am sure I missed some! Like, for instance, you may think of online friends or a pen pal overseas or something.

Personally, I write to a prisoner I never met. He has been in prison just about all his life. However, he is around my age, in other words, in his mid-60s. I'm not sure where to place him in the list above. However, I do love him and I think he really appreciates me, which is a kind of love, I guess. He thanks me a lot for writing to him, as he has no family and no friends outside of prison. I really feel for him on that last! So I write to him often, probably about once a week.

Also, we need to love ourselves. That is sometimes not so easy, when we have not been loved by those who should have loved us, but instead abused us. However, if we don't love ourselves, we are doing ourselves a great disfavor. Really, we need to try, at least, if we are having trouble with this.

So, also, there is the other side of love. How do you love others? How do you love yourself? I'd like to hear about that too. And of course, I would love to hear about how others have loved you! Please, tell me, what is the most loving thing that someone has ever done for you? I want to know!

 

[LoveTea]

I'd say there are a couple people that I love. Most noteably being my best friend. I've barely been friends with with for 2 years now, but she is so supportive of me and tries to make me feel heard. There are so many times that she has come to try and help me when I've been having a rough go of it. No one has ever done that for me before. She has another best friend she has known most of her life, but somehow she doesn't make me feel left out (so many other friends have made me feel lesser purely for not knowing them as long).

As much as she can't understand a large part of my life, she still listens and commiserates and supports me. She is the easiest person in my life to love because dispite all my abandoment issues, she proves over and over and over that she will be there. Even though I see her frquently, she will text me on a day that we don't meet up, just to see what I'm up to. It seems so little, but no one has ever card before. I have trusted her more than I've ever been able to trust anyone. She still doesn't know a lot about my trauma, but she is the first person I have been able to more easily share some of my thoughts with. I am so greatful to have her in my life, but I am still scared that the PTSD will drive her away.

 

[Mumstheword]

Hi, this is my first time on this board and first time I have posted. I have a lovely man who also suffers from c-ptsd, in my life. He is the first person.I've began to learn trust with and feel truly at ease, happy, accepted and loved by. It helps (in a tragic, ironic way) that we've both been through huge amounts of trauma. We understand each other's struggles, hardships and pain. We can just hug each.other, without words being needed, when we see each other struggling. I think he's awesome, for how strong, courageous, kind, honest and resililant he is, and he thinks the same about me. He's seen me in breakdown mode, both in a very elevated hypervigilant mode of mania, climbing out of my skin in emotional agony, bed-ridden depressed and withdrawn but, somehow, he always knows what to do to cheer me up (well mostly). He's away at the moment, visiting family in another state and I'm currently in a kind of agoraphobia state. I haven't left my house in nearly 2 weeks. I can't stand the thought of my neighbors or other community members seeing me and I'm chronically exhausted and kind of depressed after yet another traumatic year, this my 44th year. I just want no dramas, no narcissists (recently cut my parents off for this reason) no tragedies, and just peace and time to finally build a beautiful, easier life with my beloved.

 

[Changing4Best]

I guess, since I only mentioned one person in my OP that loves me, I should mention my Boyfriend. He understands that I have mental illnesses and though I did not name them, he does understand that they are one of the reasons I do not want to get married. I have explained also that I have been raped before and that there will be no sex in our future. He has accepted that.

We hug. I don't like kissing, never have, so we don't do that. We sit and talk and sometimes go out to eat on holidays. I have been seeing him for about 9 months, I think. I know that I will soon have to start letting him into my apartment, if I want to continue to visit with him (due to the upcoming cold weather).

I have an out of town guest that is coming to visit me this week, an old pastor from where I used to live. (He will stay in a motel, of course). Anyway, I am going to let my boyfriend into my apartment for the first time, when this pastor friend of mine is here visiting. I hope that this occasion will let my boyfriend understand that he is welcome, but that he needs to continue to behave himself in my apartment if I continue to let him visit me here. I will kind of discuss this when the pastor is here, to let him know of my future plans for us and for my boundaries. I may discuss this a bit with the pastor first, and then with the 2 of them, once my boyfriend is here visiting. My boyfriend is almost 80 and I am in my mid-60s, just to give you the extra info that might make this whole post seem more sensible to you.

We do say our "I love you."s and we sit by one another in church each week. We talk by phone most days, and visit as often as weather permits and he feels up to walking over here. I cannot walk to his place, because of the hill that is too steep for me to get up on the way there. He somehow manages it, I have no idea how, but he walks all over town and is in great shape for his age. He amazes me sometimes....

 

[ShodokanJenn]

I am literally surrounded by love. I have a great paternal side family, an amazing husband, some amazing friends (one of whom I met here), and a very supportive and close-knit church. It hasn't always been this way. And there was a long time when the love was there but I couldn't see it. I think it's good to evaluate who you love and who loves you - it's part of the beauty of this life.

 

[Changing4Best]

Yes, my pet guinea pig loves me, for instance, but his brand of love is to sometimes take a swipe at my wrist. He does not really bite, and my husband used to call this type of thing a bite kiss, when our dogs did it to him. He didn't mind it, but I didn't like it, so they did not do it to me! Only him. Now, little Angel is not hurting me. It just makes me nervous. But I do think it is an act of love. Animals can be strange that way!

I am literally surrounded by love. I have a great paternal side family, an amazing husband, some...

I'm glad you have so much love in your life, that is beautiful!

 

[Becca W]

Michael, and all I can say is that he is everything I need, want, and could ever ask for <3 The song "Stand inside your love" comes to mind..

 

[Heather]

Yes, its new. Don't want to say to much. He makes me laugh

 

[void]

I am literally surrounded by love. I have a great paternal side family, an amazing husband, some...

I literally cannot even imagine.......truly.

May you always have this tremendous fortune.

 

[EveHarrington]

Yes, its new. Don't want to say to much.

So AWESOME!!!

Mine is new, too! We've known each other for two months now. We became pretty serious quickly. Yes, I know what they say, to go slow, but we're doing what's right for us!

 

[Changing4Best]

I'm so happy for all of you, that LOVE has found you. I'm glad that love has found me too. Some days the only One who seems to love me is God, but that is OK too. His LOVE is enough to fill all the holes that hatred has shot into me. And then some....

 

[moshpitmunkey]

I have love from my significant other, they are the most wonderful, and the most loving thing anyone has ever done for me is understand me and respect me. My grandma loves me dearly and I her, and I have tried to smother my little sisters with love because they are still living with my abuser and I think the love I give to them is saving their lives. I have two turtles who I love. And I love myself and God.

It's really warming to read about all the love you guys have in your lives. I hope everyone keeps sharing.