Self Love. Guilty or not?

I really hope you are. Guilty, that is. Of self love. Now, before all the puritanical types clutch their chests and start gasping, let me clarify. When I speak of self love I am not referring to things previously thought to cause blindness and hairy palms, I am referring to the love you have for yourself. Do you love yourself? Can you answer yes, emphatically, without hesitation? Did you even answer yes? Up until awhile ago I wouldn't have answered yes. I would have thought about it, realised that yes was probably the expected answer, and then mumbled a yes. The most important, life changing epiphany I have ever experienced was about self love and how absolutely vitally necessary it is to love yourself. So what is self love? To try and help me express myself clearly, because this means so much to me and I want to make sure that you 'get it', I'm going to ask you to think of the love you have for your child. I want you to bring to mind the relationship you have with your child and hold it clearly in the forefront of your consciousness, while I run through a few things with you.  This being that you are seeing in your mind's eye, or perhaps he or she is with you now, has the power to bring you to tears of sadness or tears of joy. While you are thinking about your child I want you to answer these questions.
Has this child ever hurt you or disappointed you?
Has this child ever behaved in a manner which you found unacceptable?
Has this child ever lied to you?
Has this child ever done something so disgusting that you thought you were going to upchuck?
Has this child ever caused you to lose sleep?
Has this child weighed heavy on your heart with worry?
Has any of this child's behaviour ever caused you to question your love for her? To stop nourishing her? To stop caring for her? To ignoring what she wants and needs?
Is there anything that this child can do that will cause you to stop loving her?
And this is how I want you to love yourself. Endlessly, without limits. Take care of yourself, pamper yourself, listen to what your body tells you about what it does and doesn't need, forgive yourself.
Love yourself.