I Love You... Does Anyone Struggle With This?

[fly away home]

Yay for that adult Billie ((((((hugs))))))).

There is definitely a positive energy to saying these words to the people who we feel gratitude for. It's like a more powerful and long term Thank you. I'm glad you had the courage to say them Billie.

 

[Shan-Nav01]

I struggle with the words I love you. The only times I can think of my mum saying those words to me would usually be when she was trying to guilt me into something, or when she felt guilty about something.

As someone else said I get the 'knee-jerk reaction' of "no you don't" or "prove it" if someone says it to me (outside of a friendship type of relationship). My last 2 boyfriends both said ILY to me, and I said it back but when I said the words they just felt hollow with no emotion attached.

 

[Dendrite]

Just popping in very briefly, busy oiling floors.

Maybe fly away home (its just a thought) you have a little love or care for yourself? Do you put on a jumper when you are cold? Eat when you are hungry? Shower when you need to be clean? Visit the forums when you need some support? Even doing these things occasionally is care for yourself. The voice of abuse loves us to totally define ourselves by its ideals and by using absolute language in the negative. This is something I learnt from my therapist over the last twenty years, himself an abuse survivor.

These are just thoughts. Nothing more.