Founded in 1974, the Women’s Center was established to:
Dismantle, from a feminist perspective, all forms of oppression, including but not limited to those based on ability, age, class, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Advocate for an equitable environment free from violence and harassment based on gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Create an anti-racist, non-sexist, queer-affirmative space where all people can feel valued and safe.
Facilitate and strengthen connections among people across lines of difference through programming and educational campaigns.
Integrate an appreciation of Women's Gender and Multicultural Studies across the disciplines.


Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Love

            What is love? Is there a set definition for it? I think that there are many different kinds of love. The two kinds of love that mean the most to me are unconditional love and self-love. Unconditional love is absolute positive regard for every being of this earth. It is recognizing that by being alive, that person matters. It is when you do not judge him or her, and you see the good in that person. Every person has a story, and every person is deserving of love.
Love is when those moments that are tough are not as bad as they could be, and it is when those moments that are good are even better, all because those moments are shared with the right people. Love is not only about loving people when it is easy to, but also loving them when it is not. Love is about being vulnerable. Yes, it is a scary idea to let people in because then they can hurt you, but that is a part of love. Love is knowing that you can get hurt but opening yourself up anyway because you know that love makes up for a lot. It may not be easy to open up, but it is worth it. You can think of all the things that can go wrong, but what about all the things that can go right? As Sarah Dessen once expressed, “Holding people away from you, and denying yourself love, that doesn't make you strong. If anything, it makes you weaker because you're doing it out of fear.” If you always keep people at a distance, you may miss out on the bad, but you will also miss out on the good.
Love is when you willingly want what is best for another, even if that does not include you. The person who breaks up with his or her significant other often gets a bad rep, but you should try to see the situation from both sides. Oftentimes, it is not easy for someone to break up with another. It will be hard on both people in the relationship, but you know what? If you truly love that person, you will let that person go find what he or she needs, and you will not love him or her any less for it. It does not mean that it will hurt any less, but that is unconditional love. If you are the one doing the breaking up, be sure to do it in a way where you do not play the blame game. Instead, express yourself in a way that is clear and respectful. Also, allow the other person to share his or her thoughts on the situation.
            Love is not about control and power. People who love you encourage you, and they genuinely listen when you express your feelings. They do not force you to apologize for how you feel. People who love you do not try to command you, make you do things you do not want to do, or manipulate whom you can and cannot see. Love does not mean being together all the time. Love means not being together all the time and nothing changing.
People who love you do not antagonize you or make you feel less than what you are. You are allowed to pursue your ambitions, you are allowed to feel the way you do, and you are allowed to be who you are unapologetically. It is not a healthy relationship if your feelings are silenced and rendered invalid by the other person. No matter how much you care for someone, sometimes, he or she is not right for you. Some people may desire you, but they may not value you. Those people are not worth keeping. Do not feel obligated to preserve those kinds of relationships at the expense of yourself. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice what you would like to keep for the better overall good.
Can you list all of the people that you love? Did you include yourself on that list? Self-love is such an important thing to have. Self-love is when you appreciate and accept yourself as you are. I hope that you are able to look at yourself and proudly say, “I am beautiful.” Doing that does not make you conceited. You are worthy because of who you are, not because of whose you are. Be someone who makes you happy. You are your own person. Please be kind to yourself, and surround yourself with the people and things that make you happy. Every second, you get a second chance. Life is full of chances, and love is worth taking a chance on.

Guest Contributor: Megan Chan 

1 comment:

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