Most of us celebrate Valentine’s Day as a way to show our love, care, and appreciation to the people around us. We all like to get gifts, cards, or flowers, it has become a part of our culture—no matter the religious origin of this custom. We enjoy the attention we get, the effort and the time someone who cares for us spends on us to get us something that we may like. This gesture is flattering, it helps us to feel good about ourselves, and to feel wanted, loved, and liked by others. We all need to feel loved and accepted. This attention gives us positive energy to move forward with our day, even if we had a rough one.
This Valentine’s Day, regardless of any belief system you hold, I encourage you to give yourself attention and affection, while being kind and caring to yourself! Make this day about self-love. Not from the place of Narcissus, from Greek mythology, who fell in love with his own beauty, not as a way of being obsessed about your own self, but as a healthy way of providing yourself self-love and self-care.
In a healthy society, it is important to care for others and find interest in the community, not just in ourselves. As human beings, we need others among us to connect with. As stated in the book of Genesis (chapter 2 verse 18) “It is not good for the person to be alone”. Therefore, we need to find a healthy balance between being surrounded by good people around us and also expressing care for ourselves, while paying attention to others. Yes, it is a tricky balance to find.
On a more personal note, I would like to dedicate this newsletter to my father-in-law who passed away this January 20th, and to my cousin who passed two days after. My father-in-law, who was a holocaust survivor, always saw the good in people, even after what he went through. He focused on the positive, not on the negative around him. My cousin loved to travel, saw the beauty in life, and wanted to enjoy it—which he did. Both of them, in their own ways, dedicated their lives to cherish, care for one another, and spread the love around them. It is so hard to move forward after their losses, yet it is what they would have wanted us to do. I learned from them to embrace life and to be a kind and good person. I hope I am. It is an ongoing process.
Enjoy your Valentine's Day.