So, it's Valentine's Day.

Yesterday while I was overseeing third graders decorate bags to hold all of the Valentine's they would receive tomorrow, I had an epiphany. I realized that in elementary school we learn something so valuable through Valentine's Day that we end up forgetting as we get older and supposedly wiser. 

We learn that we have more than enough love within us to give out to everyone we meet.

Think about it. You go to the store with your mom or dad (or whatever grown up takes care of you, as we say in school now) and stand in the aisle of boxed valentines carefully choosing two or three of your favorite boxes and examining the designs and messages on each one. Hmmm princesses, *NSYNC, or the Lion King? JT's blonde tips are horrendous so, hard pass. The Lion King ones aren't nearly pink enough for a proper Valentine's Day by my standards but nothing says love like Simba and Nala. Am I right or am I right? The saying on this Simba one is a little weird though, who would I give that one to? The grown up who took you to the store tries to influence your decision because now you're just spending entirely too much time deciding but you won't be rushed. This is important. You will put intense thought into it as you relish in the anticipation of seeing the faces of your classmates light up when they open your perfectly chosen card, sealed with matching, precisely wrapped sticker.

The seemingly crazy thing is that you probably put the same amount of work into choosing, writing out, and sealing each valentine. You're giving a little love to everyone in your class that day. Everyone. Even that one kid you want to choke because he trips you, steals your pencil, and makes fun of your crush. Maybe you give him your least favorite valentine in the box but you still give him one because you firmly believe that no one should get left out on Valentine's Day. Or you just do it because everyone else is doing it but regardless, you still took the time and put in the effort to give some love to all.

What a relevant and easy-to-understand example of how we should be living every day. Just how and when did we forget this?

Somewhere along the way Valentine's Day became about you and one other person. One other person who may be your significant other, one other person that you are trying to find before Valentine's Day so you're not "alone", one other person who broke your heart either long ago or recently and is the root cause of your Valentine's Day "loneliness".

Can we try something new this year? Or rather, something most of us have not done in a while? Can we make tomorrow about everyone? About loving everyone. About smiling at everyone we pass on the street, in the hallway, at the grocery store. About remembering that there are people who love you everyday and sometimes that love can bring you so much more peace, comfort, and wholeness than a romantic love can.

I'll be spending part of this Valentine's Day with a friend who I don't get to see nearly as much as I'd like to. I'm excited to catch up with her, hear about what's going on in her life, and learn how to love her better. I already know it'll rank among my top best Valentine's days ever.

I pray we can all love each other just a little (or a lot) more unconditionally tomorrow and every day. Because after all, what love really means is choosing to give someone your time and friendship, no matter what.  [[ Shout out to Liquid Kids for that one :) ]]

Clothed in love,
Kelly