Still learning

I have learned as of late that sometimes when you don't get what you want it reveals what you need.

Valentine's Day

It's that time of year when the pressure is on to find a special person to celebrate this made up holiday with. What is Valentine's Day? To me it's not about receiving a dozen roses, diamonds, or gold from the one I love. It's not about figuring out the best gift that will show a person just how much you love them or that this gift, whatever it is, should be a signifier of that amount. Valentine's Day for me has become something more then the material things that are given.

As always there's a story that takes my meaning of Valentine's Day much deeper. From the time I could remember we have always celebrated Valentine's Day. As children we would figure out what candy and what type of cards would be a hit with the class. We wanted to make sure that we had the best of everything, if Winnie the Pooh was in season it wasn't cool to bring Scooby Doo cards. No one is a fan of those nasty Valentine's gummie things( you know what i'm talking about and if you don't just think of a candy you despise) so you wanted to bring something like Skittles and Cupcakes and the like. The pressure to celebrate this holiday begins at an early age! Surprising I know. But then is becomes a bigger pressure as the years go on, those little candies and cards are replaced with teddy bears and balloons. Those teddy bears and balloons are replaced with dinners and diamonds. Why? What happened to the true meaning of this holiday? This holiday, to me, is like a free pass to tell those that we love just why we do. It's awkward to bust out "I love you because you're the best friend I could ask for", "I love you because you put up with my craziness"...etc.. in everyday conversation. But with Valentine's Day it's almost like those day to day bans of gushy talk are lifted and you can truly express just how you feel about someone whether it's a significant other, a parent, a child, a friend, or pet, whoever! I believe that if a person has to buy your love, then your love is not worth it. Love is something that cost nothing but for some reason comes with a high price tag. Just think if we walked around loving freely without the expectation of anything in return, how much heartbreak would be saved, how happy we would be?

Every year since I was a child my mom has always given me a Valentine's Day card. Even when I was in Malawi, a country where this holiday is not celebrated, my mom still sent me cards. My mom and I live in the same city now and last night upon my arrival home from class, there were 2 cards propped up against my door. My two Valentine's Day cards from my mom! She sent them to me and we live 5 minutes a part. Although my mom tells me all the time how proud she is and how much she loves me, these cards, like the ones I received in Malawi, are tangible reminders of that. I can look at these anytime I want and be reminded. To me Valentine's Day is a reminder of the love that we share with eachother. It's doesn't have to be elaborate, it shouldn't be stressful, it should be simple. Something that is a tangible reminder for us to let those we care about know just how much we love and appreciate them. I think this holiday is so heavily celebrated because in our day to day lives we become so caught up in what is going on around us that we forget to share this love and appreciation regularly to the point that we need a day to tell us to stop and do it! Haha funny how life works out.

So as you plan your Valentine's festivities, whether you believe in it or not, make sure you take the time out to let those around you know how much you love and appreciate them.

I love and appreciate all of you for following my stories, being the audience for me to bounce my ideas and frustrations off, for providing the support and encouraging words and more especially for being there! I love you and appreciate you more than I can say! (This includes those that I don't speak to often or see regularly, you're still in my thoughts and in my heart).

Happy Valentine's Day!

Peace Corps Memory

These are my neighbor girls, whom I love! They provided a lot of entertainment and helped when I was missing my own nieces back home.