Can Love be found in other places?
Valentine’s Day is lurking about and landed once again this Thursday morning. I never enjoyed Valentine’s Day, even now, when my life is such that I found my life partner to celebrate it with. When I was young and single, the idea of this ‘holiday’, just like New Year’s Eve brought about tremendous stress, denial and utter disappointment, all because I was unlucky in love. I focused on what wasn’t in my life rather than what was present and available.
Even now, years later, when my life seems almost settled, I have to remind myself that Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark Holiday, one that is designed to remind everyone to tell those in their lives, to say ‘I love you’. As I have said to my husband, nearly every year since we met, tell me you love me, bring me flowers, shower me with expensive chocolate any day of the week other than Valentine’s Day. When I get a little note, a gesture, a thought, or a few words, I know it comes from the heart, not because there are commercials on TV, firehouses selling roses, or because he is conditioned to say so, it is because he wants to.
But love comes in many forms and is not just found in chocolate – although my affair with chocolate is long with standing and my emergency stash in the freezer is well stocked. Love can be found in a variety of other places, gestures and words. One might have to dig a little deeper than the freezer, but looking for love can be found in other places. Like the interaction that you have with a neighbor, or seeing that familiar face at the check-out line when you go food shopping and pleasantries that are exchanged or even someone helping you to your car with groceries. I LOVE THAT! I mean, I REALLY love that. So, on a day that one is professing love – I decided to make a list of the things that I adore – just to remind myself of how good life can be on a day filled with, guess what, love being shoved down your throat.
A phone call from a friend that you haven’t heard from in a long time
Family
Finding cash in your pants pocket
Leftovers that are even better the second time around
Visits from Family (debatable)
Your dog snuggling up on your lap
Watching your child sleep like an angel
No line at the deli counter
A clean bill of health
A shoe sale
Getting yourself to the gym
The feeling you get AFTER you exercise
Dropping a pants size
A good night’s sleep
A good joke
Long Island
My list can go on. And days like today, when I am thinking of what and whom I love (like my extended family 500+miles away), going back to my list reminds me of what is important in my life.
I’d like to believe that I am low-maintenance and that I don’t require gestures and symbols like a bouquet of overpriced roses, and I don’t but it is certainly nice. I am not anti Valentine’s Day. I do love it, but it would sure be nice if every day we found something to love about our situation, life, or significant other, without being reminded to say so on February 14th .