Author: Sheri Denkensohn-Trott
What is unconditional love? I’m struggling with the word unconditional. Love, whether it be familial, friend, or with a partner, is true and heartfelt. You must see the person for who they are and deal with them with their flaws and all, but underneath all that love is real. As for the unconditional part, there are levels of willingness to compromise, 
make choices, and evaluate your values. And in the end, you must decide if that unconditional has gone too far. Are you losing yourself? Are you giving up too much? Is it equal?
At times, many of us question unconditional love and how to make it work because you want this person to be in your life. But sometimes it can be kind of like Jekyll and Hyde and things can turn on a dime. This can definitely lead to frustration and I think we all know that frustration will not lead to a happy place. However, dealing with frustration is easier than dealing with unhappiness (for me anyway). To deal with frustration, there 
is deep breathing, meditation, and exercise to name a few of my favorites.
We all experience different levels of this as we go through life. Here’s my view. Through meditation and the tools that I’ve learned, I will stand up for myself. I will try to take a 10,000-ft approach and realize who they are and where they are coming from. I will make the “unconditional” work even when it is hard. I know I won’t regret that. But sometimes it is just heart-wrenching and very difficult. And that’s when you question, evaluate, and decide whether that means you should stay or go. It may be hard, but you come first.
I do weekly meditation and my class went on a retreat. Unfortunately, it wasn’t accessible, but it is on my bucket list. My brain vacation was the next best thing, and I’m glad I did it. I wonder if it will feel strange to write my first to do list of 2024, but I doubt I will have trouble getting back into my routine and patterns. You never know, maybe my brain will not want leave vacation.