Valentine’s Day for Lovers of All Ages

It is true that Valentine’s Day, like Mother’s Day and other such holidays has been exploited by commercial enterprises seeking any occasion to market their wares. Historically, however, it has a much more interesting past that has morphed and evolved as culture demanded. While at it’s roots, Valentine’s Day is about love and generosity of spirit, humanity has a way of tainting such lofty notions.

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

When I began to see hearts wounded by the lavish display of flowers delivered to a co-worker or a friend sporting a beautiful new necklace, I turned sour on Valentine’s Day. Not because the idea is in its purity is not a good one, but because of how it showed up in the real world.

Love is a thing hoped for in the hearts of all, but it’s never as simple as a Hallmark commercial, or a giant heart shaped box of chocolates. No, love and appreciation take constancy, intention and commitment, a steady hand and careful patience. The commercialization of love removed all of that and would have us believe it’s attainable almost by magic.

A DIFFERENT WORLD

In a different world, a smaller world perhaps, we might benefit from knowing a young lover’s sad and lonely history, and share in her joy of being loved at last. In addition the still sad and lonely young woman might witness the occasion and feel her heart fill with hope. But that hope is not about being the one to receive lavish gifts. It is about being deeply loved and cherished by another.

GROWING OLDER IN LOVE

It’s easy to see the fragility of love as we grow older. What one of us has not experienced a broken heart, dashed hopes, bitter loneliness? We know the ache of the absence of love; it’s fragility. And, we know it’s power to heal and to destroy.

It is important at every age, to hang on to hope and the desire for deep human connection. Love will always be an energy that feeds our soul. We must avoid becoming bitter, guarded, walled off from it’s healing power.

While love looks very different at fifty, sixty and seventy than it did at twenty and thirty, it’s existence is the stuff of life. The love of a friend we’ve known since we were teens, the adoration of a grandchild and the deep bond we feel with this new little creature is one of the most precious Valentine’s Day gifts we can receive.

This Valentine’s Day, I invite you to express your love in richer, more meaningful ways; to pass your love on to someone in need; to hug a young girl wounded by the occasion and assure her that she is not alone.

We must always continue to work at love, if we hope to find it. We must dare to step out from behind our mask and walls of protection and risk our hearts again and again. This dance with love is the stuff of life. Love is the energy that lives and breathes in all of us; the healing force that keeps us whole and creating. Hang on to it and allow it to shape you. You will not be sorry.

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VALENTINE’S DAY

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