Several years ago I was working with a group of women and we all happened to be single at the time when February came around. As we were sitting, drinking tea and talking about whatever, the topic came around to Valentine’s Day and the lamenting began. Woe is me that I’m single during this romantic day. It’s so sad that I won’t get blah-de-blah present and do blah-de-blah thing that I would like to do and the whole day is so depressing wha-wha-wha…
I guess I got a look on my face because the conversation kinda petered out after a bit. That’s when I sprung it on them that everything they said was garbage and self talk that they were putting into their own lives for no reason. And then I laughed because of the looks on their faces. Such shock! LOL Besides the fact that the holiday is just a huge marketing ploy that we try to make the best out of and is set up to fail for more relationships than it is a day of rejoicing and enjoyment…setting aside all the bitterness and the visions of greedy corporate moguls chuckling evilly over all the money they are raking in on flowers and cards and chocolates and meals and romantic pretty much anything…the day is theoretically about Love. Love that comes from, hopefully, someone who loves you unconditionally and is willing to demonstrate it all the other days of the year and just a little bit extra on this one.
So why can’t that person be you? If you don’t love yourself unconditionally, truly and thoroughly, then who the heck else is gonna? So show yourself the love you deserve and treat yourself the way you’ve always wanted to be treated. Don’t wait for someone else to do it, do it now. That year we planned a perfect Valentine’s Day for ourselves. We went shopping for Valentine’s chocolate at all the stores we never go in but have always wanted to. We bought special Valentine’s mugs and wine glasses, we gathered the romantic chick flicks we love and wanted to share, then gathered at my house to sit around in appropriately comfortable and unapologetically girly jammies, ate chocolate and other treats, drank tea and wine (not at the same time), and watched chick flicks ’till we couldn’t stay awake another minute while giggling and laughing and thoroughly enjoying ourselves.
And that’s just one example. This year I’m making chocolate covered strawberries and taking myself out to see a movie I’ve been waiting to see for a while with one of my favorite actors in it. What will you do to show yourself that you are unconditionally loved?
