Happy Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Lydia | Leave a comment

This is a post that I wrote on February 14, 2011. The thoughts and sentiments haven’t changed so instead of reinventing the wheel, I’ve decided to publish it again. I hope that you enjoy it and that your day is all that you expect it to be, and more. Blessings and love, Lydia

Today is Valentine’s Day–the day for love and expressing your love to your loves. Now, I hate to quibble, but my personal opinion is that I don’t need a special day of the year to convey my love. No, for me, and I am sure, most of us, it happens throughout the year in the things that I do and the things that I say, and sometimes in what is not said. Love is not a once a year affair, but an every day gift borne of the heart to the ones that we love.

The modern day celebration of February 14th has become less about the expression of love through hand-made cards and small heartfelt tokens of affection, and more about mass-produced cards bought at the nearest grocery store along with the gazillion flowers grown specifically for the occasion, and lest I forget, expensive jewelry. Preparing for Valentine’s Day has become tantamount to preparing for a rigorous exam or running a marathon. Indeed, especially for men, there is no ecstasy, only agony in choosing the perfect gift for a partner, especially if it is a new relationship. These days it requires a Herculean effort to purchase a gift that will be received without shock, anger, surprise (I am not referring to a ‘happy’ surprise.) or bitter disappointment. Yes, the commercialization of Valentine’s Day has made it less a celebration of love, and more a minefield that one must walk in search of the “right” gift. It’s little wonder why there are members of both sexes who choose to end a relationship to avoid dealing with the Valentine’s Day dilemma.

Anyway, for those of you in search of appropriate quotes for your Valentine, I’ve listed several quotes from a beautiful little book titled “You + Me,” and compiled by Dan Zadra and Kristel Wills. It is a collection of beautiful quotes concerning love. Perhaps, one of them might assist you in expressing your love jones to that special someone.

I come
to fetch
MY HEART
where I left it,
that is to say,
in yours. ~Juliette Drouet

In your presence
I fell more in love with
the best of myself.
That was your gift. ~William Cummings

Sometimes
your nearness
takes my breath away.
And all the things I want to say can find no voice.
Then in silence, I can only hope,
My eyes will speak
my heart. ~Unknown

So it is with love in my heart that I wish you a very Happy Valentine’s Day.
Blessings to you and your loves.

Quote Tuesday

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Lydia | Leave a comment

“True happiness is a verb.” ~Attributed to the philosopher, Epictetus

So I’m Not A Crybaby After All

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Lydia | Leave a comment

crying emoticone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As far back as I remember, I’ve cried at the drop of a hat. Give me a wedding, a graduation, a meaningful song, a Kodak commercial, a tragic, or happy for that matter, news article, a sappy Lifetime movie, the hardship of a loved one or dear friend and I’ll bawl like a baby. At any hint of my impending tears, I look around hoping and praying that no one notices me. I’ve always been embarrassed and struck with horror about the ease with which I cried, and our society reinforces that feeling. From a young age, we are told that crying is for babies–big girls don’t cry. As we get older, we learn that crying is a sign of weakness, a character defect. In fact, careers have been destroyed over the unfortunate lapse into tears.

So, there I was reading the Nov/Dec issue of Spirituality & Health, when I stumble upon the article “Moved to Tears” Finding Meaning in the Experiences That Make Us Cry,” by Mary Lauren Weimer. I read it with great interest. In it, Weimer recounts her life long struggle with her “propensity for tears.” She, too, questioned why “crying seemed as much reflex as reaction” to her.

In her profession as a social worker, she works with individuals in crisis, some of whom were stymied by the societal aversion to crying. Although she provides a safe place for her clients to cry, she wondered why she didn’t do the same for herself.

In her quest to understand her tears, she learned that paying attention to the circumstances surrounding our tears, provides us a first hand look at our inner landscape.”When we pay attention to the things that make us cry, they give us a rare glimpse into who we are at our core.”

“Sometimes, tears mean beauty. They signal recognition. They connect the body with the soul in a way that few things can. Sometimes, crying is our only contribution when we have nothing else to give. For these reasons, tears are a gift.”

Instead of viewing my tears as a curse, I can embrace them as a genuine and integral part of who I am. They express my truth, the beauty of empathy and a gift–both to myself and others. So now, when I am moved to tears about the latest national tragedy or by an inspiring story, I’ll think of them as my small way of acknowledging and offering tribute to the person or circumstance. My own, very unique gift.

Blessings, Lydia