This is the final entry in the series of lessons I learned from my wife being in the hospital.  It’s about loving yourself as much as you love others. 

Throughout the entire ordeal with my wife I went through an interesting downward spiral of emotions.  Obviously, I was worried about her and my family.  I also felt guilty that I wasn’t being a better husband, dad, friend, and employee.  I wasn’t ever there at the hospital enough for her.  When I was at the hospital, I wasn’t there enough for my kids.  Throughout all of this I wasn’t attentive enough to what I had going on at work.  I was disappointed I wasn’t doing anything well and then was disappointed that I was disappointed.  Then, one night I wrote the words in the image above. I think it was supposed to be a poem,  but it never quite made it.  Instead, it became some truth I needed to hear.

How does this connect to anything?  After weeks of feeling guilty and disappointed about being a failure, I finally looked in the mirror and realized I wasn’t giving myself the same love I’d give other people.  If a friend going through similar stuff had been so hard on themselves I would have told them, “You know I love you right?  I understand and appreciate your feelings.  I also want you to know that you’re being completely unfair to yourself.  You’re in an impossible situation.  You’re being as human as you can be, and that’s exactly what you should be doing right now.  I’m here for you.  You are doing all the right things.  Love and appreciate yourself.”

Have you ever felt the way I described in the beginning of the post?  Have you ever felt guilty and disappointed in yourself, because you were being human in an impossible situation?  If you have, just know you aren’t alone.  If you have, I hope you learn to love yourself as you love others.

The challenge: Will you love yourself the way you love others?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry