It’s Valentine’s Day...
I woke up feeling bad because I ordered a gift for the girls. It came later than expected so I didn’t get it in the mail in time. So, it will be late. Managing the boys as well and wishing I had gotten cards out to others. Feeling like a failure.
Expectations... Surely my family knows they are loved. But somehow missing expectations might just create a little wound. A sense of being forgotten. Then the mom guilt kicks in.
It’s now 3:30 pm and I still have some house cleaning to do. That’s how I spend my day off. We are having a nice dinner at home. In fact my husband is actually cooking dinner. But somehow I feel that if the house is a little cleaner, the dinner will somehow be more special. My expectations.
I just heard that over 27 billion dollars is spent for Valentines. Over-priced flowers, expensive dinners, gifts just weeks after Christmas, chocolates, cards, etc. It all adds up. And based on the line at Target this morning, I’m not surprised. Commercialization raises expectations.
Commercials in fact suggest that it should be a romantic evening. Tired mothers trying to gear up on a Friday night. Clueless or stressed husbands trying hard to show love. So much pressure to create a romantic expression of love on this day. Who set that expectation up?
Does this day not count for those who don’t have significant others? Those who don’t have children? What about those who can’t afford all that the world seems to say is required? Again, who set those expectations and how are we showing love to those who feel unloved?
Celebrating our relationships is important. It’s great to set time aside or give gifts. But shouldn’t it be a little more organic than just meeting expectations?
Love is the heartbeat of the world. Love is action-oriented. It is the human expression of the Divine. It connects us. And it is not just intended for those for whom we feel love. Our family. Our friends. It is more than the gifts. It is kindness. It is forgiveness. It is connecting with those who are different than us. It is reaching out to those who struggle. It is letting the lonely know they are not forgotten. It is a hug to those who are hurting. It is stepping into the loss and grief. It is restorative. It is healing. And, it is how God makes his presence known in and through us.
So, maybe on this Valentines Day, we can take a minute to think through how we can be an expression of love differently this year. How can we be the light that brings love to a hurting world. How can we create the powerful ripple that a loving expression can bring to a world in need of powerful healing.
God is love. And, we were created to hold the Spirit of God. So, be love. Not because it’s an expectation; but, because it is who we were created to be.
That’s what love has got to do with it!
Happy Valentines Day. Look for opportunities to make every day an expression of love.
