Valentine's Day

A wise friend of mine pointed out that Valentine's Day is not just for lovers but it is for expressing love to all the people in your life. Love, love, love. What an amazing gift. When you love someone you give them a piece of your heart and your soul. You hope they will take care of it, and give you a piece in return, but it's such a leap of faith isn't it? Who doesn't remember that first, nervous, I love you spoken aloud? I do. Honestly, I've never enjoyed Valentine's Day. I considered it a made up sham of a holiday, I was quite cynical. It never lived up to the Hollywood, or Hallmark, induced hype. I would go into the holiday tense, expecting the worst-which as we all know pretty much guarantees the worst will happen! What you think...will be! This year I vowed to work on a change of perspective. Then my dear friend wrote about Valentine's Day and how much it meant to her-not only as a wife but as a mother-and something truly clicked.

I decided that I would make today very special for my Valentines, I vowed to spoil them rotten!

I baked bread, from scratch-had to start the dough last night.

I made a new, delicious, lemon and shrimp pasta dish for dinner.

I brought my Grandmother's dishes out of storage to eat on.

We ate by candlelight listening to soft jazz music sipping good wine. Paulo drank his OJ from a wine glass.

It was a delightful meal.

Then...for dessert....I cut up fresh fruit and made a white chocolate fondue. It was heavenly!

And the surprising thing, I had not one moment of martyrdom. I did not resent my child or my husband while I bustled about in the kitchen preparing a special meal to celebrate my love for them.

So often in the past I've considered Valentine's Day a day for other's to show me how special I am. I've never thought about the simple truth that it is also a day for me to show them how special they are. And they are special. My boys are wonderful boys. I'm a lucky wife and mother.

I read recently that the soul's main purpose for time on Earth is to love one another. This clicks for me. We are here to take care of each other. To open our hearts. To let down our guards and really bare our souls to other human beings. When we truly love another we become close to God-whichever version you may believe in. Love may be what it's all about after all.

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all!