Why do we love?

Why do we love deeply?  I believe we love out of gratitude for what others have given to our lives. We are all selfish, we love for what we receive in return for our love. 

I'll never forget the swelling of my heart the first time I held my tiny infant son in my arms.  I had never felt love like that before and it was so over whelming I cried.  Love begets love.  My children grew and also loved.  With their love came my grandchildren.

But that is only the tip of the ice berg speaking of love.  We love our family, our friends, our pets, our neighbors, our hobbies, music, books, blah, blah, blah.  You get the picture. 

So why don't we love ourselves with the same deep love?  Why are we constantly belittleing ourselves for our imperfections, those imperfections that perhaps only we ourselves can see?  You know what I am talking about.  Someone tells you how good you are looking and you come back with, "nothing fits since I put on this additional weight".  We are down right mean to ourselves.  We wouldn't dream of treating others the way we treat ourselves.

The new year is right around the corner.  Have you started working on your annual New Year's Resolution list?  Remember that list, the list that gets put away and forgotten collecting dust with no productive changes once again.  I do not write new year resolutions but if I did, this year my list would begin with "Love thyself as you love others."

"Since you must spend so much time with yourself you might as well get some satisfaction out of the relationship."  Norman Vincent Peale