to feel is to love: ourselves, others, and god

To feel is human.
Yet so many of us spend our days trying not to.

To the degree that we are unable to express our emotions, we remain impaired in our ability to love ourselves, love others, and love God.

Somewhere along the way, we learned to hide or minimize our emotions. We were told to “be strong,” “get over it,” or “don’t cry.” Over time, those messages taught us that feeling deeply is weakness — when in truth, it’s what makes us fully alive.

When we deny our pain and losses year after year, we slowly become less human — empty shells with smiley faces painted on them.

We see this in our teens, too. They might shut down, say “I’m fine,” or avoid talking about what’s really going on. But often, they’re just doing what they’ve seen us do. If we want emotionally healthy teens, we have to start by modeling it ourselves.

Here are a few simple ways to begin:

1. Name what you feel.
When irritation, sadness, or anxiety shows up, pause and name it. It helps you stay aware and grounded — and teaches your teen to do the same.

2. Stop labeling feelings as “good” or “bad.”
Emotions are messengers, not moral grades. They tell us something about what matters to us.

3. Be present, not perfect.
When your teen opens up, resist the urge to fix it. Just listen and say, “That sounds hard. I’m here.” Presence heals more than advice.

Feeling deeply isn’t a flaw — it’s a sign of being human.
Let’s help our teens see that emotions aren’t something to fear or hide, but something to feel and honor.

If you want to help your teen (and yourself) build emotional awareness and connection, I’d love to guide you through this process. Let’s start the journey toward emotional wholeness — one feeling at a time.
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