Is the Love Gone?
February 25, 2020 | by sheri mitchell
Whether you crushed Valentine’s Day and took a long, luxurious soak in ‘love’, or your V-Day resulted in tears and apologies, the great beauty of this holiday is that the purpose and spirit of this particular day is NOT relegated to being celebrated only one day a year.
Think about it. Christmas is celebrated only at the designated "Christmas time." People do try to do the whole "Christmas in July/August/October" thing, but we all know Christmas is only really celebrated at Christmastime. The world doesn’t go crazy wearing green on any other day than March 17. And while we are always the United States of America and appreciate the freedom we experience by living in this nation, we only celebrate the "birth" of America on the 4th of July.
The same isn’t true of the spirit of Valentine’s Day. The essence of February 14th is love. The focus has historically been about romantic love, but that is not the only kind of love that can be celebrated or acknowledged on this day. Love of family members, love of friends, love of pets, and romantic love can, and are, all celebrated on this day. And celebrating love IS a beautiful thing!
BUT...
Love is not meant to be celebrated, paid attention to, acknowledged and appreciated only ONE day a year! Love is worth celebrating, paying attention to, acknowledging and appreciating over and over and over again each and every month. And while there might not be a specific day designated on the calendar to celebrate love, what is stopping you, and me, from setting aside our own day each month in which to focus on and celebrate love?
Did you make plans for Valentine’s Day this year? Did you see it coming and start thinking about how to celebrate the one you love? Did you ask questions to find out how they would best feel loved? Did you buy a little gift or send flowers or write a poem or make dinner reservations? Did you buy a sexy nightie and get a sitter for the night?
What makes a day like Valentine’s Day special is the fact that we often take the time to PLAN AHEAD and put some effort into celebrating the one we love. Now, honestly, what’s to stop you from doing that every month? Wouldn’t your spouse or significant other appreciate and love that? Wouldn’t that make them feel special and seen?
No, you don’t have to go all out each month to celebrate the one you love, but wouldn’t it be nice if you made a point to set aside a day in which to intentionally make them feel loved?
Love can be communicated in many ways. Dinner out at a nice restaurant, or dinner in by candlelight. A weekend away at a spendy resort, or a weekend at home alone while the kids stay at grandma’s. A dozen red roses and a box of chocolates, or a single rose left by the coffee pot in the morning. A new sexy nightie and a night of passion, or simply taking the time to make love, even without the sexy nightie to start things off. A lengthy poem articulating all the things you love, or a post-it-note on the mirror saying, “I love you.”
Love can be extravagant or simple, unique or everyday ordinary. The importance is not in how it is delivered, but that it is expressed over and over and over again. Love is not a one-time commodity that can only be spent on a single day. Love is renewed each day in order to be shared and expressed continuously throughout the year.
So whether this year's Valentine’s Day was va-va voom, or it fizzled out, the joy of celebrating love isn’t over when the calendar turns to February 15th. You can choose to make love a celebration every month of the year. Trust me, your love will appreciate it, and regularly celebrating love throughout the year will not only strengthen the love you already have, but also make February 14th less daunting next year because you will have championed and practiced the celebration of love all year long.
