Napenda

I am a loving person. I love everything. I love nature and music and art and science and math. I love the human mind and the nuances of people. I love to dance. I love my family deeply. I love the rain. I love balance and harmony and peace. I love my congregation. I love hugs and warmth. I love cooking and learning about food. I love travel. I love letting my mind flow freely. I love movies that make me think…and feel something beyond excitement. I love astronomy and physics.

I love very deeply, and sometimes it’s difficult because it seems there’s not a lot of love in this world. Everyone is striving for acceptance, but I don’t know if love and acceptance are the same thing. I believe true love is principled, and puts the will of God and others ahead of love of selfish pursuits. Despite the love I have for other things and other people, I struggle with loving myself. I feel like I don’t match up with the physical expectations of common standards of beauty.  Because I love so many things, my kind of love might appear like an ocean to someone more used to swimming in pools or ponds. But I decided I'm not going to apologize for the way I love. I just have to be determined to keep showing love, no matter what, and be confident that it will be returned to me, a thousand fold.