Loved All Year: Post-Valentine's Day Reflections

Benjamin and Heidi, 2001. Oh, how we have changed.

We are almost to March, which means Valentine’s Day has passed, and we aren’t socially obliged to express our love. But this doesn’t mean February 14th is our one shot to express care for others until next year.

The first time my husband said, “I love you,” was Valentine’s Day, 2001. It freaked me out. We’d only been dating a month or so. Was that too soon? It worked out, so hey, not too soon. But what I’m so grateful for is all the “I Love You’s” since then. In the wake of depression and PTSD and surgeries and financial stress, Benjamin continues to say it. Saying “I love you” the first time can be easier than continuing to say it. Remaining is hard. You probably know the sting of that. Whether you’ve left or have been left, all relationships come with pain.

This is why you need to know that whether you celebrated Valentine’s Day or not, you are loved today. You are loved when you are alone or in a crowd. Whether you’ve been betrayed or have been the betrayer, you are still loved. Whether it’s on a boisterous holiday or a lonely Friday night, please say the words out loud to yourself: I am loved.
This morning, with some encouragement from the “Calm” app, I wrote these words to myself:

May you be present.
May you be peaceful.
May you be calm.
May you be joyful.
May you smile.
May you dance.
You are loved.

TELL ME: When is it easy to love? When is it freakin’ hard?

BOHEMIAN CHALLENGE: Write a blessing of love to yourself. Maybe write one for someone else. And here’s a coloring sheet for kids of all ages.