February is here, love is in the air….or is it?
Hallmark holidays are upon us nearly every month. January is a slow month with only the Chinese New Year as a relatively legit holiday. Then we have Valentines day, Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday AND the almighty Superbowl followed by March; Spring Break, Daylight Savings, St. Paddys day. Then comes April hopping along with Easter & Earth day, May hosts Cinco de Mayo, Mothers day…you’re picking up what I’m putting down, right?
The point is, during every month we have at least ONE opportunity to consider why we are thankful for something or someone without having to put much effort into mindfulness ourselves. I for one am grateful for that – I merely put up a calendar and look at it once in a while, bingo bango I’m in no fear of losing my social relevance! But on the other hand……
February however, I have a bone to pick with. Not everyone has that conventional relationship to pass on chocolates and whisper sweet nothings on February 14th. Heck, even if we are partnered up we’re usually too consumed by ourselves to remember to do something truly thoughtful at all during the year, leaving it all up to February’s Valentines Day to make up for. I for one, hate that. If this Valentines Day didn’t exist, would we forget about loving kindness all together? Is Valentines Day all that is holding us back from being the emotional equivalent to pond scum? Excuse me while I go scrub off the goose bumps that have encompassed my body entirely.
Life and love and being human are all about being light and dark, happy and sad, thankful and ignorant. We learn from being all of these things, we inspire ourselves and others, and we grow! Without our pre-packaged, consumer-based reminders, would we stay in the dark depths of narcissism most of the time, or would we still feel the need to execute acts of remembrance and loving kindness? Here’s hoping.
I have a challenge for you all, for 1 month, 6 months, 1 year or beyond: live outside the borders of what convention is reminding you of on your calendars. Keep a log, journal, diary, or tattoo all of your good AND bad intentions, all of your triumphs and failures and all of the lessons you learn by them. Commit to completing one selfless act of kindness every day to those around you -skip the Care Bare Valentines, the Green McDonalds death Shake for St. Paddy’s – make it real loving kindness that comes from your heart truthfully, and without coaxing from the greeting card industry.
Hey, it’s Tuesday – and I love you.
Happy Valentines Day, everyday.
Sasha