There is a plot to criminalize Valentine's Day. It's called the anti-Valentine's day movement (original). Part of the movement is to encourage boycotting of one of the best days of the year.
It's a day in which our hearts soften...or if you're part of the anti-Valentine movement, it's a day to let your heart be hard.
But the world needs softer hearts.
It is THE day to examine one's heart and to act upon the love held within that soft heart. When we express love or kindness on this day, it is often reciprocated and our community of hearts (even the worlds' hearts), soften together.
The first text I receive this morning is from Janita who sends an artistic heart to a small group of friends. She wishes us a happy Valentine's day and expresses her love.
I reciprocate with my own heart that shifts the trajectory of love and friendship to chocolate.
Before the text, I awoke to this heart on my desk. From my beloved with a soft heart.
Janita answers, Dark chocolates are my favorite! I need some.
To which I respond, Then you would eat it for breakfast like I'm doing right now and then you would regret making such a poor choice.
But Janita confirms it's the right choice and even adds that she found some dark chocolate in her personal stash.
Kristi adds that she too loves dark chocolate and sends her love.
Along comes Sheli, who sends her love but admits she doesn't like dark chocolate. She is the youngest in this small group of texting friends.
Sheli, I write, chocolate is an acquired taste that comes with aging. Enjoy your youth.
My day is lifted by the sweetness of friends and the sweetness of chocolate.
It only gets better when my teaching partner Deb, sends me Valentine Day wishes and asks what I'm doing in class.
I respond that I am too busy teaching WWII to take the time to do my traditional Valentine Day presentation of hard hearts versus soft hearts. But when I am asked and when I have to tell her I'm sticking with hard core WWII, my heart softens. Heart feelings are greater than the need for WWII hardness. I will teach hard hearts v soft hearts. Hopefully it will be an important life lesson for seniors on the verge of leaving their childhood cocoon for the cruel cold world. Maybe they will their soft hearts in the boxes they take to college.
A few warm wishes follow, but the best is from the little guy I just hung out with for three weeks. He amazingly can switch from a soft heart to a hard heart in a matter of seconds, so I tell my daughter to pin this sweet little photo (that came from preschool-bless his teachers), to her shirt, so her son can be reminded of his own heart when he turns salty.
Happy Valentine's Day. Keep it alive!!
Comments