To Love

Love: a commitment to the well-being of others without conditions.

What a great definition of Love. This week is Valentine’s Day which for me, is more about showing everyone around me, how much I love them, value them, and care for them. I am not as concerned about romantic dinners, flowers, or chocolates (but it that is your idea of Valentine’s Day, that is awesome). But we will celebrate the day with dinner, some fun family surprises, and lots of love.

Valentine’s Day comes from the stories of martyred saints for standing up for acts of love in 3rd-century Rome. One story is that St. Valentine helped or stood up for Roman citizens to marry at a time when it was outlawed to marry. Another story is that this Saint help Romans escape their horrible lives under Rome’s rule and was killed. Other stories include healing sick children, showing love and compassion, and dying a horrific death.

I think that most of us have learned about love by experiencing what is NOT love. Some of our hardest lessons in life come from these experiences. But honestly, they are the best lessons learned. I have a very clear understanding of what love does not look like for me (untruthfulness, lies, manipulation, verbal and physical abuse, trying to change people, use others, etc.) Healthy and loving relationships are not built on the backs of name calling, bullying, lying, and installing fear.

Learning to speak in love, act in love, and carry the thought that love is kindness, love is giving, love is supporting, love is nurturing, and love grows is valuable and needed today in all relationships. I hope you have a wonderful week and show someone you love them. Spread kindness and love. Grow in love.