Week 7 Theme: "My Love"
The theme this week is Love. Take a photo of you and your husband, your boyfriend, your children, you pets, your favorite things. Let's appreciate and celebrate the love in our life.
Today is Valentine's Day, the celebration of love. Honestly, it's never been one of my favorite holidays. I went on some dates, but didn't have my first true boyfriend until I was 18, so in high school, seeing everyone dressed in red and pink, gushing about their Valentine's Day plans just made me want to cry.. or punch someone. In my freshman year at a christian college, chapel day just happened to fall on Valentine's Day. "Chapel" was actually a religious service held in a big gymnasium with the entire student body required to be in attendance. That year I got about 50 friends and friends of friends to protest Valentine's Day by wearing all black. Our section of black stood out quite a bit amidst the reds and pinks of the other students. I carried that tradition on throughout the years, even the years when I had a boyfriend and then a husband.
I don't really like the idea of there being one day set aside to celebrate love. I believe that love should be celebrated and appreciated every day. I don't like the pressure VDay puts on us. The pressure to buy the perfect card, to buy the perfect gift, the pressure to plan something romantic.
The thing that I've come to understand about Valentine's Day is that it forces us to think about, plan for, and celebrate love, so that is not a bad thing. It can be so easy to get caught up in the busy, chaotic pace of life with young children that it is hard to find the time (or to make the time) for grand romantic gestures. But, that's okay. Grand romantic gestures are nice, but I've learned that it's the everyday moments of love shared that make this crazy life worthwhile.
When my husband, (on a regular, ordinary day) bought a frame for me to put a very special photo I took in, that was romantic. When my husband reaches for my hand as we watch The Bachelor (a show he would rather not watch), that is romantic. When he plays "Puppy and Ping" with our son, and uses the high pitched voices to make the stuffed animals talk, I celebrate love. When he listens to me complain about something silly, without judgement but with understanding, I celebrate love. When we laugh about a goofy, inside joke that is romantic. When he laughs, retelling the story about the time I put my socks in the microwave and caught them on fire, I celebrate love. When my son is sick and my husband calls to check in and see how he's feeling I celebrate love. When my husband sees me at my worst and loves me anyway, I celebrate love. When he stands beside me through good times and bad for going on 14 years, I don't need a holiday to celebrate the love we share. I celebrate it every day, each time I say "I love you".