Valentine' Day in Reflection

As you know, I set a goal for myself this year.  I wouldn't be sour and snide about the holiday. Honestly, there is no point is being negative about it any more.  Instead, I decided to Bask in the Love.  You know what? It worked.

So here are my highlights from my Valentine's Day celebrations:

• I posted on Facebook and invited people to tell me how they met the one they love.  I got some really good responses.  Every time I read one of the stories, I smiled. Even if it was just a simple thing, I smiled. And you know what? Part of why I smiled was because I could tell the responders were getting to relive that moment that changed so much for them.
  
• I later asked people to tell me about their favorite Valentine's Day memory.  One of the neatest responses I got from this came from a friend who's husband is blind. She told me that when the first got married, they didn't have much money and decided to just give gifts from the heart.  He'd expressed how he missed driving and so she cleared a parking lot for him and let him drive around. She sat next to him and guided him to keep them safe. I think this story will always stick with me.
• Two of my friends wrote their own posts about the holiday. One wrote about other gifts from the heart. Even with its own bit of snark, it was a very sweet post and he always has great pictures and videos and stuff.  His follow up post today was mostly nifty pictures. Loved it. Another friend wrote a post about things that really should be shown love on Valentine's Day. I liked this post because I often make speeches to my purses and stuff. When I told her this, she jokingly called me a weirdo.
• I encouraged people to think about those who are without an SA this year and get them a little gift.  I was thinking of widow(er)s, people recently divorced, those who are perpetually single, and the like. I'm not sure how much of this happened, but I did get two bouquets of flowers myself, so I know it worked somewhat.
• I participated in the Inner Beauty Project and wrote a very painful but soul cleansing love letter to myself.  I feel very committed to this glorious idea. I really encourage everyone to do this.
• I helped a friend online come up with a Valentine's Day gift for her boyfriend.  I made quite a few suggestions to her and I think she took a couple of them.
• Tonight, my roomie and I did our traditional eating of Valentine's Day candy after pasta. Hah, I almost left that as "paste." Totally changes the idea. This is very important to me, as all traditions with the roommate are.  Neither of us celebrate any holiday in normal ways, as we didn't have normal childhoods. What we do with them always makes me happy.
• While looking through the pictures of people's gifts on Facebook, I liked them, and I meant it.  Instead of being selfish and sulking about the holiday, I was happy for people because they got pretty things. Things that made them feel special and loved. That is beautiful. 
• My sister-in-law saved all the broken crayons from the last year and helped my nephew to make hearts out of them for his classmates.  They looked really cool and I complimented her on them.

Wow. Look at that. And I may have even missed some stuff. But seriously. LOOK AT THAT. I took this holiday I rarely give a care about, often just am annoyed with, and turned it into a real celebration for me. Something that moved me, changed me, gave me stories, strengthened my ties with people, strengthened my ties with myself.

And all this, just because I choose to alter my perspective.  Happy Valentine's Day.