[SheilaKathy]

Is There Love In Your Life? If so, tell us about it, please!

It could be from anyone, really, a parent, a sibling, a child, an uncle or aunt, a grandparent, a cousin, or even from some distant relative. It could be from a friend, your spouse, a "significant other" or a sweetheart. And of course, it could be from a pet. I've tried to think of all the possibilities, but I'm sure I missed some! Like, for instance, you may think of online friends or a pen pal overseas....

Personally, I write to a prisoner I've never met. He's been in prison almost all of his life. However, he's around my age, in other words, in his mid-60s. I'm not sure where to place him in the list above. However, I do love him and I think he really appreciates me, which is a kind of love, I guess. He thanks me lots for writing to him, as he has no family and no friends outside of prison. I really feel for him on that last! So I write to him often, probably about once a week or so.

Really, as well, we need to love ourselves. That is sometimes not so easy, when we have not been loved by those who should have loved us, but instead maybe mistreated us or didn't know how to love us, due to our mental illness(s). However, if we don't love ourselves, we are doing ourselves a great disfavor. Really, we need to try, at least, if we are having trouble with doing so.

Also, there's the other side of love. How do you love others? How do you love yourself? I'd like to hear about those things too. And of course, I would love to hear about how others have loved you! Please, tell me, what is the most loving thing that someone has ever done for you? I want to know!

Thanks for this thread!

I am lucky in that I have a lot of love in my life from family members, friends and my bf. I could work on my self-love though as I tend to beat myself up too much for mistakes and I can get really down on myself. Hence, my tendency towards depression.

I am a very loving person myself and I try to show it with all those who love me back. I deliberately try to show my gratitude and appreciation of them, which I think is very important in all relationships.

Why is this person in prison, may I ask? I am curious how it is that you ended up meeting someone who is in prison, and then ended up being pen pals. I am very wary of ppl who have been or are in prison myself and probably would never venture down that path, so I'm curious.. if he's been in prison most of his life, he must have done something horrific. Not judging, just curious!

Anyways, thanks for this thread -- it's good to think about and appreciate. The self-love piece being very important.

[SheilaKathy]

Originally Posted by golden_eve

Thanks for this thread!

...

Why is this person in prison, may I ask? I am curious how it is that you ended up meeting someone who is in prison, and then ended up being pen pals. I am very wary of ppl who have been or are in prison myself and probably would never venture down that path, so I'm curious.. if he's been in prison most of his life, he must have done something horrific. Not judging, just curious!

Anyways, thanks for this thread -- it's good to think about and appreciate. The self-love piece being very important.

Actually, I met him by way of a Prison Pen Pals website. I have never met him in person and never will, as far as I know. He is in prison for life.

As to what he has done, I never asked and he had never said. I figured if he wanted me to know, he would say. Actually, since he did it so long ago, it may now have very little reflection upon his life. He is just living the consequences of his young life's choices. He seems to just be a mellow old man these days. Hardly what one would consider a hard-core criminal. None the less, the government has seen fit to place him in a "Maximum Security" facility, so what he did must have been very serious indeed.

He has not shown that side of himself to me and probably never will. However, I have no doubt that if he were pushed to do so by another inmate, he might indeed "flash" his old colors. So I am kind of glad that he is where he is and cannot hurt anyone, hopefully, as they do a lot of "lock-downs" there, where they confine all the prisoners to their cells for several days while they shake down the place and search for hand made weapons and others things that the prisoners should not have in the possession.

They also have cameras viewing every inch of the place 24/7, I am sure!

Very interesting! I am sure he greatly appreciates your friendship, no doubt. It is very kind of you to do something like that.

[SheilaKathy]

Originally Posted by golden_eve

Thanks for this thread!

I am lucky in that I have a lot of love in my life from family members, friends and my bf. ...

I do too, for that matter. My BF's love is gentle and he understands my need to keep my distance, due to my having been raped, etc. My family lives far away, but they do things like send me gift cards and letters and call me and listen and give me advice and appreciate me listening to them and giving them advice too. I am happy that, that last is a 2 way street. We all give and take.

Friends are such a blessing. I love hearing stories of people's lives. I could just sit and listen to these forever! I never get bored, hearing the same story again and again. It reminds me of my mom's dad, who would tell us all kinds of neat stories about his past. Also of my dad's mom, who would do the same about the little wild animals in her life.