As We Know, Love Just Isn’t About This One Day
The other morning I saw something which made me think about love. This incident, ‘the man in the drugstore’ (see story below) also had me reflecting on how loving and being loved, is so supremely important. More on that below.
You Have Made It!
As my eldest son (above pic), who has special needs, is now home with me (high school ended for him last June), we generally get out for a lengthy walk every morning with our dogs (we now have two, having recently inherited my parents Labrador Retriever, as, last month, they moved from their farm to a 55+ housing development, and although their new community does allow cats, dogs, unfortunately are NOT allowed, so here we are). Back to the morning walk …
…Every since my boys were little, we would take our morning strolls and I would play a game with them called ‘looking for signs of spring’ in which they had to tell me all the signs of spring they found on our walk, things like: snow drops, a few cherry blossoms on a tree, or the green shoots of daffodils pushing up through the ground. Recently we have had some lovely sunny weather and that morning, as my son and I headed up to the bank and then the local coffee shop, we saw signs of spring everywhere.
Yay!
We have made it through the first 8 weeks of winter!
It is so lovely to see the world waking up again and to experience these longer days with it being light past light 5 o’clock now! I hope you have had a good winter season, which honestly feels like it has ended here on the West Coast (now that I have said that we will probably get snow this week! lol) but for many Easterners I know it has been a challenging few months with record snowfalls and freezing temperatures, but regardless you have made it through the deepest, darkest weeks of winter!
The Man in the Drugstore
On this particular morning walk, after my son and I had walked to the bank and the coffee shop, I made a quick stop at the drugstore to pick up a few things. While going up one aisle I spotted an older gentleman in front of the ‘For My Wife’ section of the Valentine cards display,. He was picking them up, reading them and putting them back in their slots. I wandered to the back of the store to find something and a few minutes later went back down the card aisle again, and saw that the man was still there standing in front of the cards, continuing to go through them one by one.
I went up to the till to pay for my items and was about to leave the store, when I saw him approach the cashier and slowly place his chosen card on the counter. I was watching him out of the corner of my eye while fiddling with my shopping bags, and I observed how carefully he was handling the card, like he was worried it would get dirt on it or something, and seeing this I felt a surge of love towards this elderly man, this stranger, because of the level of care he had shown in this act of picking out a Valentines Day card for his love.
As I walked home with my son, I continued to think about this gentleman and this act of love, and reflected on the fact that love is really about the little things, like choosing the Valentine’s Day card that is just right for our partner, or how our partner thinks to bring us a cup of tea or coffee when they are making themselves one, or pick up milk at the grocery store without being asked, because they know the milk is running low. It’s these little acts of love, chosen each and every day, that help build up and strengthen our most important relationships.
But What If Things In My Relationship Are Not So Rosy?
If you are reading this, and reflecting on your own relationship, you might be thinking, thoughts like;
“I don’t feel very loving towards my partner right now’, or “I don’t think our relationship is going to make it through this rough patch”
…and if things between the two of you are not that great, exchanging Valentines is likely the last thing on your mind, and well…
…I totally get that.
Yet, know this, whatever your situation, even if you are feeling sad, resentful or angry towards your partner, and maybe discouraged about the future of your relationship, you can still love them.
You can dislike the way they might be showing up in the world, you can dislike the things they are saying and doing, but you can still love them for who they are at their core. Because our true nature is perfect and we are all 100% at the core, regardless of what is happening in our lives now, or in the past.
And if you aren’t in a relationship this Valentine’s Day?
It doesn’t matter! 🙂
Because you can still love, accept love, and be love. Love your kids, your friends, your neighbours, your coworkers, your pets, or even the elderly man you see purchasing a card at the drugstore.
Love humanity and let humanity love you right back.
Love.
In the end, it’s all there is.
Happy Valentine’s Day to YOU my perfect friend.
xo
Elizabeth
*If you are experiencing a rocky time in your marriage or long-term relationship, and you want to ensure you have done everything you can to turn things around and preserve the relationship you have worked so hard to build, then my on-line program The Relationship Reset is for you. To know where you stand, and to determine what your best next steps are, you first need clarity, and The Relationship Reset will help you get this. We are now accepting new members for the winter session. If you would like more information please book your complimentary Discovery Call with me here.
