The V-Day organization has asked 1 billion people to rise “to show the world our collective strength, our numbers, our solidarity across borders” and renew efforts to end violence against women. I would like to suggest that we replace violence with love, and that we start with the love of the self.
How do you show love to yourself?
How do you show love when the world tells you that you are unworthy of love? When it is illegal to love who you want to love? When your lover is a secret.
What would it take for you to love yourself?
How would you know when you truly love yourself?
For me, loving myself means being kind to myself. It means putting myself first. Taking time to read, nurturing my soul, listening to music…Akua Naru, Erykah Badu, Miguel… Loving myself means taking a couple of days off to spend at the beach. Show myself love is communing with the ones I love – family, friends, my community of sisters.
Loving myself means I am loved. Love is living in the now. Love is exhaling.
What does loving yourself mean to you?
Rise in Love.
6 comments On One Billion Rising: Rise in Love
Ironically, this photo was taken at a location where you (and I) were not shown a great deal of love. *cough* Fanta’s Folly! *end cough*
Happy V-day Nana, sending you big love on this special day!
@Malaka – Hehehehe….but YOU showed me a lot of love on that day, and every day. I should have credited you as the photographer 🙂
@Minna – Happy V day hun. Sending big love right back to you x
Loving myself to me means being in tune with the things i do with and for myself…putting myself on a pedestal and knowing my worth…taking my time to care for myself physically, emotionally and spiritually. I love myself and i love the people who love me! Happy Valentine’s Day to you all
@ Nana Darkoa: I fell sick and so I’m just finding out about all this. I’m not sure if it’s too late to email you my poem/ story as a survivor. If it is I’ll just hold on till next year. I think this is a really good idea since survivors of all forms of violence deserve love. I show love to myself by treating myself kindly. I once read somewhere that most women treat everyone far more kindly than they treat themselves. So now, I’m learning to be gentle on myself when I make mistakes, to take good care of my body & to treat myself to something special once in a while (eg: a nice book, a delicious meal, bake something, buy a nice dress, pay for a facial/ massage session).
@Naa Adjeley – *hugs* Sending love right back
@Ekuba – hope you’re feeling much better hun. You can share your post any time 🙂 Plus you’re an author on this site so feel free to go ahead and upload xoxo