Parental Love is Challenging
Now that I have children, I understand the fierce discipline it takes to parent in a regimented and reliable fashion. Giving children a predictable childhood is tough work. Parental love inspires and sustains quality parenting.
The intangible spirit of love made my parent’s sacrificial acts of love possible.
I should also mention that my parent’s discomfort expressing physical affection impacted my sense of childhood love.
As far as I can recall, I don’t remember my parents being physically affectionate or verbally expressive of their love.
Parents often internalize paralyzing fears which make physical or verbal affection difficult.
We’re slow to give a hug, perhaps even slower to say the actual words, “I love you.” But this doesn’t nullify our acts of caring in the only way that we know how to care.
Perhaps, as a parent you show love to your children by baking them warm cookies or playing ball with them outside. It could be that you’ve completely shut your child off from parental love.
It’s never too late to open the valve of God’s spirit within and ask for the strength and wisdom to show parental love.
Parental Love is Powerful
Parents hold this incredible power to express a love that’s entirely unique to having brought a one-of-a-kind human being into this world, completely vulnerable to our vices.
What will you do with your power?
Yes, love in its essence is intangible. However, the love a child receives is the love they’re able to give when they become parents.
None of us can escape the dynamic of parental love or lack thereof.
We’ve all experienced parenthood, whether as a parent or as a child or both. Perhaps you recollect your childhood as an empty space void of love.
It could be you’ve failed up to this point as a parent to express love for your child.
I challenge you to consider the intangible reserve of love available to everyone, no matter their past, and seek ways to make a tangible difference in the life of your child.
One day, they’ll recognize this as love in its most tangible form.
Surrogate Love
Some of us never had the love of our biological parents. Yet, grandparents or other close relatives stood in the gap.
In stark contrast to the love of my parents where words of affirmation weren’t a staple, my mom’s mom, showed me a type of love that I found comforting and have never been able to replace.
I genuinely felt like I was my grandmother’s favorite grandchild.
I received my grandmother’s favoritism as love.
She called me “sunshine.” She always told me I was smart.
I was her closest sidekick. She treated me as her equal–never as a child who should be seen and not heard.
My grandmother’s love for me came naturally. I knew she loved me and wanted the best for me.
To be Cont.
LoveLifeLinks.com believes you can be more intentional when expressing parental love.
Remember, you can feel love anywhere. Anytime. All the time.
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