As I mentioned in another article,  each person is unique, singular,  irreplaceable, a “spark” of love, with their own qualities  and strengths, yearning for beauty and meaning, capable of illuminating an entire universe. Created by love, and for love.

A person has  almost infinite value  in and of themselves , “by the sublime fact of ‘being’ a person,” notes the great expert Tomás Melendo. Their dignity is so high that,  by their very nature,  thanks to  their freedom , they can  achieve their full potential  as a person. They are a free being with the capacity to be  the protagonist of their own life.  Something to always marvel at and be grateful for, for the person is  a mystery , and mystery opens us to beauty, to the infinite.  

And what is specific to him is good  relationships with other people…,  especially in his own  family , that natural institution as old as life itself, where we are loved for who we are, the origin and source of everything else.

Savor  the beauty of personal relationships , the skills of understanding and empathy, for in them  the heart truly matters .  Let us return to  the warmth of embraces , to knowing how to look into someone’s eyes and reach their heart, to smiling, to being kind, to making life pleasant for those around us.

Because  a person’s humanity and character  reside in their heart, in their warmth, their understanding, and their empathy for others. Human beings cannot be understood without considering their capacity to love and be loved, which also brings us greater personal fulfillment. We have  a heart that loves and is moved:  the most defining characteristic of humankind.

* A heart to love 

Interaction and shared experiences foster  affection and love between people . Connecting with others, engaging  our emotions,  builds  relationships.  We have  a heart to love,  and in this, each of us finds meaning and fulfillment, and therefore,  happiness.

To converse ,  to create a genuinely personal  relationship :  person to person, heart to heart. Especially in a  romantic relationship,  which we must build day by day, as something living destined to grow, from which all other relationships unfold. 

In this environment, it’s important not  to remain on the surface of things.  To delve deeper into the reasons, to see  the underlying causes . To  use the  profound thinking  and higher capacities that we have been given.

All of this fosters  introspection , allowing one to “be” with oneself, to discover thoughts, ideas, and convictions, perhaps somewhat hidden, and to truly  know oneself.  In this way, one can aim for  noble goals  that inspire each individual, starting from their own  unique personal qualities  and talents.

Each person possesses an intimate space, with inner silence, where they are in  their own  ” home ,”  where  they  ” possess ” themselves at their origin.  Let us reclaim that silence and that personal intimacy that nothing and no one can take from us.

Within that space, one is free, able to think for oneself and be the unique person that each individual is, unconditioned by others, by the environment, or by other expectations…

We are something truly valuable, far more than what can be seen from the outside. Our driving force will always be within, as will our personal growth. Because the external world may captivate us, but the internal world provides self-knowledge and the freedom to be ourselves, building and improving us.

That’s why it’s so necessary to create  “islands of silence” within ourselves  for reflection. In that secret space,  the ideas and convictions  that shape our personality and inner life are forged.  And it’s where we contemplate  our life’s project  , from the most unique, personal, and special aspects of ourselves. In this way, we truly become  who we are,  see where we’re headed, and discover the meaning of our own lives, as Dr. Viktor Frankl taught us. 

Inner silence helps us  reflect, decide how to act,  or how to respond to circumstances, and  relate better  to others. It helps us see if it’s good to give in to emotions because they lead to expressing affection and building relationships, or if we should  filter  those impulses through thought and trained willpower because they might be harmful or get out of control—even if it’s not the right time or place to express them.

Thus, with this daily practice, we can  cultivate inner peace,  think for ourselves, and  aim high  with enthusiasm, striving for excellence and optimism in everything we undertake. We can see “seeds” of eternity in the small, often overlooked things…

Good  coexistence  requires  spaces of calm  for conversations to flow, in which each person is important, and where  one learns to  trust, to understand,  to see the  needs of others  in the light of affection.

Furthermore, these  conversations create a warm   , supportive family atmosphere  where everyone feels comfortable, surrounded by trust,  joy, and  freedom.  And the children feel loved, absorbing this optimistic and joyful environment by immersion.

Therefore, it’s about acting with  heart :  putting care into every detail,  every task and conversation, with every person. It’s about transforming small actions into  habits and virtues,  thinking of others, and  enjoying it more and more. As Aristotle said, it’s not about becoming increasingly difficult, but  about achieving greater enjoyment.  And these acquired habits are like the building blocks for constructing one’s personality…

Because our partner, or our children, are not there to fulfill our desires or projects. They are people: they deserve to be loved for who they are. This implies  a constant stepping outside of ourselves:  out of comfort, selfishness, the desire for control, the need to be right, the weariness that weakens us… But, in this  stepping outside of ourselves towards the other,  there is a great “secret” hidden: that we also  grow,  improve, and enjoy ourselves by loving them, wanting what is best for them, but also for ourselves.

In other words, family love, experienced with depth and personal consistency, makes us all better people, more authentically human. It benefits both those who love and those who feel loved. And that warm and loving atmosphere spreads wherever we go…

We collaborate to enrich the world with the talents we have received, freely and specifically, to put them to use and  create beauty.  Most notably, within our families, with  each new human life : the greatest possible miracle on this planet, thanks to love.

* Getting to know each other as people…

Returning to  conversations with family and friends,  it’s important to highlight the  good and positive qualities in others.  Don’t get caught up in minor flaws or grievances, which are obvious and that we all have, or in what we personally dislike about our own personalities. We are all very different. Value and appreciate that.

Being able to be understanding, cheerful and empathetic, hardworking, organized, responsible, generous… As well as discovering the value of  helping others and the joy that it brings.

Moreover, a  person becomes understanding and welcoming  when they embrace noble convictions and offer support to those who approach them… notes the renowned educator Jutta Burggraf. “They are like a tree with deep roots, providing shade, support, and solace to those who seek it.” We all want to have people of that caliber around us.

It is necessary to pause and appreciate the beauty of  loving gestures and acts of kindness : they are “the pulse of love”… Moreover, in this way  we discover ourselves as individuals, and we also discover others  at their best.  We retain the best of each person, which is how we truly know them, in their own unique way.

And all this will be reflected in the coexistence, in the conversations and anecdotes that are told in lively  gatherings  , where each one feels important, loved, and the protagonist of their own epic… Because, “joy, feeling one’s own worth, being appreciated and loved by others, feeling useful and capable of producing, are factors of great value for the human soul,” said Dr. Maria Montessori.

It’s about getting to  know yourself and  others  through your best performances…  Because achieving great things requires intention, effort, and cultivated qualities. Mediocrity simply arises from complacency. And from there, starting with your own talents, aim high.

Therefore, strive to create a  cheerful, optimistic environment  , with  empathetic and endearing communication , and a  pleasant coexistence,  by sharing experiences, dreams, teamwork, details and concrete attentions, even worries, which in this way are confided and lightened.

Learning to compromise, to trust, to be flexible, to show affection in every aspect of life.  Affection  is  incredibly enriching, as  it increases a person’s capacity to love :  it allows them to experience the joy of making others  happy  . 

Thus, we reach the depths of our loved ones’ souls, discovering the  joy of walking together  toward an   exciting goal , one  we desire  from the bottom of our hearts. We are made with  longings for beauty  and infinity… our hearts feel called and seek it.

To conclude, a quote from G.K. Chesterton in Orthodoxy: “Man is more himself, man is more human,  when joy is fundamental to  him and  sorrow is superficial.”