part of the self-realization/self-actualization I went through made me realize how terribly difficult I was (and probably still am). thinking back on the past two years, I wonder how it was that many people were so kind to me despite how terrible I was. and it was this line of thinking, coupled with the school environment that made me realize— it was love.

the whole idea of love these days is terribly misconstrued and restricted. fairy tales and entertainment superpowers like Disney instill within us this idea of romantic love being the ultimate, if not only, true love (although I must say Disney is reinventing that idea — see: Frozen) and we often neglect and/or mistake other aspects of love like familial love and platonic love as societal niceties. this misconception made me wary of all the selflessness shown towards me and indeed, assimilating myself into the community was that hard. but now, I’m very thankful for all the love that was shown towards me and how selfless/accepting everyone was.

this quote was picked as the title because it reflects how I feel about the situation:
I’m loved for who I am, what I am and loved despite my flaws and imperfections. I’m not exactly the most religious person around, but this quote reflects the kind of love God showed towards his people (something I actually learned in school :P)— we were forgiven for our sins and mistakes even before we committed them. and that is the kind of love I hope to show others around me in time.

“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved — loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.”
— Victor Hugo