Love, the Ultimate Form of Flourishing

In October, I visited Korea to reconnect with my friends and family. It was a workcation, but I was intentional about securing time to be with my family, relatives, and friends whom I hadn't seen for years.

During this time, I was able to:

• Reconnect with my friends from Singapore who visited South Korea and see their children for the first time.
• Serve as the bridesmaid at my best friend's wedding and celebrate her significant milestone.
• Travel with my family on a week-long trip to Jeju Island (our last week-long family trip was 20 years ago).
• Spend quality time with my sister, bonding over numerous meals, desserts, and conversations, helping her navigate her life challenges.
• Meet my cousins, uncles, and aunts whom I had not seen for years (literally).
• Celebrate my wedding anniversary with my husband on a memorable bike trip.
• Savor my heart's desire of delicious Korean meals cooked by my parents (for the record, my parents and sister are chefs, and I am the guinea pig at home :)).

As you can imagine, it was filled with meetings and time on the road, which was hectic. However, after this trip, I feel more grounded and grateful as I return to my second home in Vancouver.

This trip prompted me to reflect more deeply on what constitutes the highest form of flourishing, and I've come to believe that it is love—to love and to be loved.

To be loved is to be seen for who you are. No effort is needed to prove your worth. You are loved as you are. From time to time, I forget how powerful and empowering it is to be loved and to love someone for who they are, and my parents never fail to remind me of the power of love.

Being an immigrant, I often don't have daily in-person interactions with them, so I wouldn't normally experience how they express love.

• Their love is in their thoughtfully prepared meals and their gentle smiles upon seeing me.
• Their love is shown in their dedication to their business, striving to support the family as long as they can.
• Their love is in their daily prayers at church, praying for my well-being, peace, and guidance from God.
• Their love is exemplified in their ways of serving others, trying to model what a good life looks like.

After a full month of feeling loved and sharing love with my loved ones, I feel hopeful and grounded in what's ahead. This strange sense of confidence, in my perspective, is true flourishing.

In light of this, it makes me ponder how we can infuse more love into our lives to enable us to flourish further.

What’s it like to experience love in your personal life and relationships?

What does it look like to bring love into your work?

What becomes possible when we act more lovingly in our communities?

If we incorporate a spoonful of love into more aspects of our lives, how might the world change?

In a season where conflict and hatred are on the rise, I want to invite all of us to think about love.

• Think about a moment when you felt profoundly loved. What was happening, and how did it affect your state of mind and emotions?
• Reflect on how you express love to those closest to you. Are there ways you could do so more effectively or more often?
• Consider the last time you performed an act of love for yourself. How can regular acts of self-love enhance your overall well-being?

Now, let’s consider spreading this love beyond ourselves.

• Imagine your community at its best—a place where everyone feels loved and supported. What actions can you take to move it closer to this ideal?

May our reflections lead us closer to more loving and flourishing lives and communities.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." — Martin Luther King Jr.