On Valentine’s Day when I was a little girl, my dad would bring home for each of us a little present and a bag of candy. The one that sticks out in my mind the most was the year that he bought me a Precious Moments book and a bag of chocolate stars. I have no idea what my siblings received and I don’t know how old I was as the time. Nonetheless, those were and continue to be my two favorite things – books and chocolate – and my dad knew it and gave it to me as a symbol of his love for his favorite daughter! (My sisters might disagree with me on that, but it’s my story and I’m sticking to it!)
This year 81% of Americans plan to do something for or with their significant other to celebrate this holiday; friends will send each other cards; children (might) share valentines with their friends or classmates, and Dad’s will bring home a small gift for their little girls. This is considered one of the most romantic days of the year.
But here we are in the midst of a world filled with a lot of chaos and judgment; violence and intolerance. And here we are in the season of love with Valentine’s Day right around the corner. The world around us is in such upheaval, totally polarized on political, social, economic, and conservation fronts. And yet, February 14 is a magical day of love.
While our brains have 2 halves and our hearts have 4 chambers, each half of our brain relies heavily on the other and the lifeblood runs through all 4 chambers in our heart. Whether we choose to be angry or loving, that primary emotion will bleed over into the areas of our lives where the other emotion wants to live. We are not made to be able to compartmentalize all the different areas of our life completely. Even when we look forward to coming home and leaving the days to stress at the front door, we are less tolerant of behavior that doesn’t completely conform to what we want. And so it is with both anger and love.
No matter what others are doing, trusting or believing, we have a choice on how to react. If we react with anger to what is happening in the world, our day of love with our family and friends will be tainted. If we choose to remember all of the wonderful, beautiful, generous things and people we have in our life and let that spill out into the world, the world will be a better place. From behind our masks, even if it’s just for one day, let’s bring to each person we pass by a book and bag of candy in the form of a smile with our eyes or a friendly wave. Let’s make this Valentine’s Day truly a day where love wins over anger.
