Some words from the banquet

After a week's vacation at the office, things are back in motion! Almost all of the supplies are organized, and DVD copies of the video slideshow have gone out to the students, but the work is never finished in preparing for the next year of Bridges! In the coming weeks, we'll be updating the blog with student poetry, art, and more information about Saturday College...and of course more pictures! But first, here is an excerpt from Mrs. Swartz's closing remarks to the Thetas at the banquet, on the theme of love:

Now, I as I look out at you, I don’t see those people from three years ago. I don’t see the glasses, braces, insecurity, fear, or doubt.

As I look at YOU, I see, I feel, I think, and I touch LOVE. Not that fluffy, fake, kind of, ‘I love because I have to love you” love.

But love that grows over time.

Love that comes from seeing you at your lowest low and witnessing you crawl you way back up to your highest high.

Love that comes from sharing your heart breaks and your triumphs. This kind of love is AGAPE love,

Agape is one of several Greek words meaning, “love.” Agape is love that is:
· divine,
· unconditional,
· self-sacrificing,
· active,
· thoughtful, love.

I feel this when I look at you, all of you.

But my question for tonight is, “Do you feel this when you look within yourself?” Do you feel that Agape love? Is the love for yourself unconditional?

It is hard to love yourself unconditionally when the world around you only shows conditional love.

If you clean the house-you get love.

If you get good grades-you get love.

If you are pretty-you are loved.

If you do exactly what is expected-you are loved.

If you have the right clothes-you are loved.

If you drive the right car-you are loved.

This is conditional love-you get it based on what you do. So we grow up thinking that no one can love use unless we do something for them to deserve the love. Many people in our lives say, “I love you” and then reject you the next day.

The thing is, that we are so used to this conditional love that when someone loves us unconditionally, we believe it can’t be true. We think and we know that this is just going to be one more person that let’s us down. But I am here to tell you tonight that I won’t let you down, Bridges won’t let you down and we will always love you.

But loving you, it is not enough for you to succeed. Theta’s, I am here to tell you that LOVE, Agape love, unconditional love, whatever you want to call it LOVE, it comes from you first.

You have to love yourself unconditionally first before you can receive or give love to someone else.

Unconditional love is an unlimited way of being. Loving yourself unconditionally will remove so many barriers from you life. It is a dynamic, powerful energy that lifts us through the most difficult times.

Knowing that if all else fails and you are left standing alone, you still have YOU. You still have that powerful unconditional love that will get you through.

So, stop seeking love in all of the wrong places. You can’t get unconditional love from someone else, if it doesn’t start in you first.

I know without any doubt in my mind that you will each go forth and do great things.

It was a very powerful speech, and it still resonates clearly, several weeks after the program has ended. Look for picutres from out new hall display later today!