LOVE and STRENGTH

As it is customary, today I've heard a lot of "Happy Valentines!"   It is a beautiful thing to celebrate the day of love and friendship.  It is also a time for me to reflect on the many people that are not feeling the love today.

Valentine's Day, as we know it, is a day in which people give each other beautiful cards expressing love and joy for having others in your life, chocolate and stuffed animals have made the list too, and the much anticipated bouquet of flowers...  Valentine's, as we have created it, is a big-o redandpink day with tons of sweet feelings floating around, which is just wonderful...

It is however, within this plethora of love-evoking products around me, that I sometimes wonder...  What about the real love?  Yes, I said it!  All of these things, products, and details, although a great way to express love in the "traditional" way for Valentine's Day, are also NOT the only way to show real love.

Expressing love can be as simple as a much overdue hug, and as powerful as a subtle kiss from those who care about you.  Young adults are especially prone to expecting "things" that "show love," and are often quick to miss the very important signs of True Love in their surroundings.  They are easily distracted with the mountains of imagery and influences that dictates everything they know to be, from what is "cool" to wear, going through what is "so-on!"to behave-like, all the way to defining and showing love to others, and to themselves.

It seems as if most young people -and a fare share of adults- are just sitting on a surfboard, riding the waves of life, wherever these may take them, with this month’s pop-hit (from anyone with enough money to make a sad comeback) as the love-song of choice, and a minimalist sense of understanding for what it is to give love to others in the first place. 

I would like to see love in high school hallways where other's are being bullied, in countries where people are being killed, and in households where people are being taught to discriminate.  I would like to see less "text-me" and "be-mine", and more "stop what you are doing to him!" so the Real Love can come out from wherever it is.  I would love to see the day in which love is not shown with a card but with a firm stand for others' rights, because we are all deserving of protection, of affection, of love... Anywhere and everywhere.

Valentine’s Day is a special day, by tradition.  Let's make it even more so by making someone that did not expect it feel loved, for any and every reason!  Have a sweet valentine gesture towards someone in need of your help, of your comfort, of your strength and help them find theirs too!  We need to start thinking of all of us as responsible for one another, and maybe we will see the day when we will embrace others differences as just that, simple and basic differences that create diversity, and that present opportunities for us to evolve into a more loving human race.

May Love and Strength fill your heart every day, and may we find you walking through Strength Avenue in the company of a new Valentine today!


LOVE & STRENGTH!

Cristal