The Best Medicine

Today is Valentine’s, a traditional love day. It gets me to have loving thoughts again!

I ‘m reminded of a well-known psychiatrist, Dr. Karl Menninger, who said, “Love is a medicine for the sickness of the world, a prescription often given, too rarely taken.”

Indeed, in each human, there is a built-in need to love and be loved. Take away that nature and you’ll remove humanity.

One of the best gifts we can contribute to the world is learning to love imperfect people. That includes everyone. You spouse. Your children. Your parents. Your friends. Your neighbors. Every fellow human being.

For love to be truly medicinal, you and I must be prepared to love flawed people. Dysfunctional people. Sick people. Enemies. Simply, imperfect humans. We must love people in areas where they’re good and yet be prepared to to tolerate areas that are still under construction.

It will save you much disappointment to realize that all of us will disappoint each other. The truth is, you often disappoint your self. So, if you’re going to love any one, you must be prepared to say, “I love you anyway.”

Unconditional self-love (USL). Unconditional other-love (UOL). That’s the love prescription the world needs to heal and be whole.