Valentine’s Day: Obligatory vs Voluntary

Is posting something about love and Valentine’s Day obligatory?  I’m seeing a plethora of articles and fun lists going around about this fun and loving day.  I pondered over whether I felt any pressure to post something to get on the band wagon, and decided; I always did like wagons. 🙂

A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous. Ingrid Bergman

My feelings about Valentine’s Day are similar to my feelings about love in general.  It should be voluntary – never obligatory.  Commitment is important and honorable, and gets us through rough patches.  But love…love should be a persistent, nagging, aching, blissful, selfless condition that is reinforced and practiced daily.  Like yoga.

Whole Latte Love (don’t hit me!)

I say make this day yours. Celebrate in a way that reflects you, your love, your relationships. I just noticed a friend of a friend on Facebook, Belle Karper, announced she and her hubby were going to jump out of an airplane for V-Day.  Now that’s taking a leap for love!  Extend this celebration of your love into many many days…it kinda deserves it.  And extend the joyful celebration of love beyond your “other half” – shower love on everyone you encounter! And don’t forget yourself in the love equation.

My ex and I had a long tradition of enjoying a nice dinner the night before or after February 14th; not merely to avoid the crowds of couples rotated tightly between timed seatings, fixed menus, and complimentary single red roses (oopsie! Did I ruin it for you?), but to make it our own and to avoid the whole canned and commercial feeling of the evening.  It seems so contrary to me…this planned and rigid celebrating.  Love should be spontaneous, voluntary – every day, even chaotic.  Well, maybe not chaotic.. :}

Love-Mongering

There is, though, something sweet and joyful about so many people love-mongering in unison.  And I know it is more a romantic love that we are celebrating on Valentine’s Day, yet my heart is buoyed and filled equally by the love I feel for and receive from family, friends, food 😉 , “tweeps”, and my beloved animal companions, too.

My very non-obligatory gifts to you – but only if you act now!

❤ For a daily love fix, check out Judy Clement’s Love Project on her sublime and always loving Zebra Sounds blog.

❤ For an example of the boundless beauty that pure love and trust in a relationship can accomplish, see this of a girl – and her horse (sans saddle or bridle, mind)

Stacy Westfall and her magnificent mare, Whizards Baby Doll

Some sweet treats:

❤

Red Velvet Valentine’s Cupcakes

❤ Sexiest love song: Dave Matthew’s Band: Crash Peppiest love song: Boys and Girls in Love by The Rumble Strips Saddest love song: Almost Lover by Fine Frenzy

❤ The best, sappiest, sweetest, most memorable movie scene, from ‘When Harry Met Sally’

❤ And finally…if you have Skype, copy and paste this series into the Skype window of someone who could use a love collage:

(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)(F) :* (h) (inlove)

OK, enough trying to capture the essence of love…it cannot be contained, nor fully explained.  Ain’t that what’s grand about it? So for Valentine’s Day…throw it for a loop. Forgo the dictates of commercial expectations (except for the copious amounts of chocolate, of course) and do your own love thang. Or don’t! Save it for a special day you make your own.  And DO share your favorite expressions of devotion and voluntary acts of random loveness here. I’m a sucker for swooning vicariously.

Thank you, my Valentines, for your voluntary visiting and sharing love, always and in all ways.  Wishing you all BIG love.