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Easy to love, or hard to love? © Kathy J. Sotak

You can easily spot them. Some people are just plain easy to love. They bring an instant smile to our face and are high on the likeability index. The easy to love are the life of the party. They are fun, comforting or somehow make us feel good. Perhaps we aren’t even sure why.

Then, there’s the hard to love. I guarantee we all know them. They may have a permanent seat in our life. Or, they cross us in the street and we can feel it. Maybe we want to turn off and turn away. Perhaps it’s easier to find their faults than their strengths. Maybe they are socially awkward or have fits of anger. Perhaps they like to fit out versus fit in.

I was hard to love. Maybe I still am. I think back to my past where I was fitting out, socially awkward and even visually repelling (top of my list is my high school days, with bursting acne, bursting body and bursting behavior). Those who I remember most are the friends, family and strangers who saw through all of it, and found a way to love me anyway.

Between the easy or hard to love, who needs more compassion? Who needs to be understood? Who may be hiding their hurt?

I’ve now been observing my own behavior:  who is triggering me to turn off and turn away?

Today, I’m sure we’ll both come across the easy and the hard to love. Will you join me in today’s challenge: to see beyond the rough exterior and find a way to love both?