I'm cuddling with one of my nieces over the holidays. She's one in a set of triplet girls. What's interesting about this picture was at the time the picture was taken, I was feeling totally wrecked because I had just found out some ugly truths about my Ex and I was feeling like I was going through a second break-up except this time a messy one. To be honest, I was mentally in that mode, "I totally hate your guts you MFer!" Yeah, kinda ugly.
It's like my niece knew I was feeling sad and unloved, so she just jumped on my lap to cuddle with me, and my mom captured that moment. Let me tell you, any hate or anger feelings I had completely vanished, and I completely absorbed myself with my niece's loving energy, and just felt the love. I melted. It was incredibly healing, and was the best gift I could have gotten from anyone. Thank you sweetie!
Last year, I had the most amazing Valentine's Day with myself mainly I believe because I focused on what was wonderful and loving in my life. I focused on what I had not what I didn't have like a significant other. I could have easily gone done the path of feeling depressed and lonely because the Ex and I had just broken up (initially) 5 months earlier. That Valentine's day 2008, I decided, I chose, to just feel the love that was all around me.
Love without expectations
My point with these stories is that Valentine's day is tomorrow, and the day can get kinda messed up for lots of people because I think we can get too caught up in romanticized love, expectations of what love is supposed to look like, and how love is supposed to be packaged. The commercialization of Valentine's day to me has made us forget sometimes what the day is really about and that is feeling the love that is all around us whether it be from lover, family, child, friend, sibling, co-worker, next door neighbor, the nice check out girl/boy, or strangers on the interwebs.
There is a saying that goes something like, "You have all the love you need right inside you." When you tap into that, I believe that very cool unexpected things can happen, and you attract more love to yourself because you're being open without expectations or rules. Love is free and there is TONS of it everywhere. Seriously, love is everywhere!
Cuties watch out!
This Valentines day, I'm going to be hanging out with a girlfriend and there will be lipstick, high heels, champagne, and cute boys involved somehow. We'll figure it out as we go along, and I love the spontaneity of that. I'm just happy to be spending quality time with my friend who we actually have reunited after a long time of not being in each other's lives as we had our own issues to deal with. But now, I have her back in my life, and it is so awesome! I am just feeling all kinds of love.
I think focusing and remembering the love we do have all around us is going to be especially important this year because so many people have been cranky and feeling unloving because of the economic crunch that's put people in bad moods. Here's a nice homework assignment, the next time someone snaps back at you or behaves kinda testy, try seeing them as a person who is immersed in their own pain, and their attack is not personal but rather a misguided channel of their own frustration and what they need is some love rather than a counter attack. Try it and see what happens.
So, I wish all of you a very Happy and Wonderful Valentine's Day! And yes, absolutely, I extend my love to all of you. Good times! Group hug :-D
