If I were to close my eyes and imagine a city that I would love to move to and live in, it would be a place that shined, even on a rainy day. A place where people are smiling, thoughtful, and helpful. A place that was clean—no garbage or graffiti visible—because the people who live there really care about the city because they consider it their home. It would be a place where people felt compelled to care for it because they care about their neighbors. It would be a place where love could be easily felt.
When I consider love and what it truly is, I have experienced what love is through the work I do. I have experienced it in believing that people can be so much more than what society has been convinced of. I have experienced it in watching people’s light shine when they begin to see themselves as capable—truly capable—for perhaps the first time.
Love is caring about the well-being of ourselves, our neighbors, and our environment. It is making sure they have what they need to flourish—not just to survive, but to become their fullest selves. Love is kindness. Love is understanding. Love can look like saying no when necessary, or saying yes when it makes sense. Love is teaching. Love is accountability. Love is showing others how to do what they don’t know how to do—so they can become the best version of themselves…