How to Let Yourself Be Loved

Why is it so hard to trust and to receive?

Photo by Morgan Sessions on Unsplash

Learning to be loved,
To accept help, 
To welcome kindness,
Given freely, generously, selflessly—
Is not easy.

To trust that someone’s in your corner,
No matter what—
Is a leap of faith.

Sometimes, it feels safer to give than to receive.
Sometimes, self-sabotage is less scary than to admit we're falling.
Danger becomes enticing—
So we chase the damaged, the unattainable, the unavailable,
So we play games and shield the vulnerable in us.  
 
But when love, so pure, so full,
Wraps around fragile hearts,
The way it does when it's meant to be from the start—
The real struggle is to let it in.

If you’re like me,
We find flaws in ourselves,
Convince ourselves it’s not real,
That we are unworthy,
And undeserving of such tenderness. 

Yet love remains steadfast and true:
Reminding you to wear your glasses
When you’re convinced you see just fine,
Or making your coffee every day when morning shines.

Love is also the pause before the argument starts,
The breath held, the choice to lean in closer,
To soften and listen with care.
Love is to bridge the gap between hearts
With patience and understanding.

Learning to be loved,
Is a quiet magic,
A bloom of light in the darkness,
Teaching the heart how to heal.
Love kisses your forehead in the dark,
Before turning off the bedside light.