You are Loved

How weird would it be if some random person just walks up to you and tells you "You are loved" and then just walks away without saying another word. Honestly, I wouldn't know how to react to that. I think at that moment I would just give the person a strange look and try and figure out what the heck just happened and what did that person mean by I am loved. After a while, I'm pretty sure I'm going to start meditating on those words, especially one world in particular: love.

What is the meaning of love? Or for the matter, what is love? Perhaps love is something that is without a definition, something that goes beyond rationality of the human mind. Maybe love is something that transcends the physical world and is something that is spiritual. I believe the concept of true love is something that we all search for in our lives. It is definitely something not easy to find but sometimes all it takes is one to open their eyes and look around them. I know it took me awhile to realize that. Back home I never quite understood why my dad disciplined me so much, but I came to realize that it was all out of love. He disciplined me to help me develop into a better person, not because he liked disciplining me it was because he cared that much for me. My dad even said he hated disciplining me but he had to because he knew it would make a better man in the future. That realization is sometime lost among many second generation Chinese kids. All they see from their parents is the harsh, disciplinary side but sometimes they fail to see that their parents are doing that because they want to see them succeed.

Love is one of the most valuable treasures in this world. I feel like we all need love just as much as we need air to breathe. I think that a life without love is life that would not be worth living. With love in our lives, we are empowered beyond belief. It helps us believe that we can do and accomplish anything that we thought were out of reach for us. I can't even comprehend how someone can go on living their life without love. Love is the very essence and core of our being. It is the energy that sustains who are and what we are. In fact, I am pretty sure that everyone has a deep-rooted desire to love and be loved.

Now-a-days, love is often just tossed around so much that it has lost some of it's meaning. People always say they love things but do they really love those things? For me, to love something means that you are truly passionate about and you are willing to stick with it no matter what difficulties gets in the way. This year I got to experience something that help me understand the meaning of love better. I wonder how many people can guess what that is? If you guessed SPOP, you guessed correctly. Yes I know I do talk a lot about SPOP, but it is something that has impacted me in so many ways that it's hard not to refer back to it. SPOP has shown me the impact that love can have on others, the things that people would do in the name of love, and the things that it makes people become. I felt like every staffer loved the program so much that they were willing do whatever they can, no matter how ridiculous or awkward it made them look, to make it one of the best experiences the spoppers ever had. And guess what? Many spoppers would agree with me that SPOP was one of the best experience they had (at least all the ones I have kept in touch with). It has also helped me really come to love and appreciate UCI in ways that I have never had before. UCI is a gorgeous campus. The park, the people, the learning environment, everything about this school is beautiful. It took me a whole year and a summer to realize that.

This brings up another point that I would like bring up. I feel like love is more than just a mere feeling, but something that expressed when we do something for another person that benefits their spirtual and emotional growth. By doing that, hopefully it will help that person realize their full potential and they will be able to start tapping into it. As Christian, I feel like that love is a gift from God that is meant to pass onto other. I used to always wonder why it was so important to "spread the love," but after much meditation I came to realize that by spreading love you not only brighten up your life but the lives of others as well. I think that's why one of the greatest commandment is to love your neighbor. By just loving others you will create a lot less problems...Heck, if everyone loved their neighbors, the world would be a much more happier place.

Now back to what would happen if some random person came up to you and said "You are loved." I honestly wouldn't know what that person intentions are and I still don't know what I would say or how I would react but I think I would smile. I'm smiling because I know that someone out there loves me for who I am and that is a fact.

"We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love." -Mother Teresa

Here's another picture that helps us get in the mood for Christmas...


























Ice Skating at Rockafeller Center by Trey Ratcliff