Love Unlimited

This month I am reminded of an album my brothers used to listen to when I was young; Love Unlimited by Barry White. I’m sure many of you remember Barry’s deep, sultry voice. Many people will be playing Barry White this month, reliving memories of past loves and thinking of what love may lie in the future. While you are thinking about love, let me remind you that it is limitless. This is the time to consider stretching your love to see where it can go. (And I don’t mean sexual love.)

We love our significant others, family, friends, even our pets, but what about the people that we see every day on the street? What about our co-workers? We see them every day but we rarely think about showing them love. February, the month of love, is the perfect opportunity to see how boundless your love can be. Love is truly one of the most beautiful emotions you can have. Be willing to explore your love and learn its capacity.

 You may feel that you can no longer trust love. You may feel bitter about love because it has caused you great pain. If this is true, you can be healed from those wounds by going to God. He is the One who created love. He understands and knows what love is because He is love. You can go to Him and ask Him to restore the love you once had or heal the wounds of love that you carry. Your love can be healed by God because no one loves like He does.

There is so much we don’t understand about love. Many think it is a box of chocolates on a holiday in February. It is not. It is about accepting people for who they are, especially when they are acting in a way that makes them difficult to love. It is about understanding that we are all human beings living on this beautiful planet together, trying to succeed at life. Love gives us the grace to understand that we can help one another succeed, if we will use the tools God gave us for just that purpose. We can use love to facilitate healing in the lives of other people, regardless of their color, creed or religion.

Speaking of color, let me digress for a moment. This is Black History month, a time when we acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans throughout history. It is a celebration of life and love. It is also a reminder that racism is horrible, whether it is againstblack, white, Asian, or Hispanic people, or anyone who is different from us. We need to learn that regardless of color, clothing or culture, each person is a human being, and in that way, we are all the same. Racism might cease to exist if each of us realized that differences are only skin deep. Inside, every human being is the same- we all just want to be loved.

Reach out to somebody. Extend your love. I promise it will make you feel good. If you have ever helped someone who was homeless or delivered a meal to the infirmed, then you know the feeling. If you haven’t, then help someone today and experience the happiness it will give you. Imagine if we all helped someone in need, in some small way, every day. What would the world be like? Try it today. Celebrate love outside your familiar circle. Find someone in need and give them something, even if it is just a moment of your time. I guarantee it will make you feel good.

Dr. Diana