Valentine-ness

Valentine's Day has never been a holiday I've looked forward to or really found much to it outside of the pressure for purchasing chocolates, roses or twirling around like Buddy the Elf chanting, "I'm in love! I'm in love!"  I've always felt, in a non jaded way, that the message conveyed is that you lack value if you don't have a significant other and if you do one would naturally expect to be laden with chocolates, flowers and uber love. So maybe that makes me sound Scrooge-like, but I feel like love and caring for others stretch way beyond what society has packaged and molded it into. 

Love is beautiful, unconditional and hard work. It is something that is not earned in a one night stand. With friendship it isn't solidified in a 48 hour meet and great session. Unfortunately, we're in a culture where our food, internet service and expectations for anything and everything are immediate. It's easy to be inpatient, to want something now and for it to, unrealistically, fall under our umbrella of what love and relationships should be even if they aren't. 

One of my favorite verses in the Bible defines what love is so eloquently and so against the grain of what our society and culture defines it as: 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7New International Version (NIV)

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love is not an easily packaged and cellophane wrapped basket, but it is instead an awesome ever growing, if we allow it to, component of life. It isn't intended to ever hurt or weaken the other individual, but instead find ways to bring joy and fullness to others in a non self serving manner. 

There's nothing wrong with chocolates and a nice dinner on February 14th, but don't let these notions of affection be limited to a few designated holidays during the year. You deserve goodness, to be genuinely asked how your day was and to be surrounded by those (even if that's only a select few) who treat you how you desire to be treated. Life is too stinking short to invest and strive for a certain someone or type of person who will never reciprocate and treat you as you deserve to be valued. 

Know that you, with all your good, bad and in-between are super worth loving and investing in. It's the truth!