Making the Heart Smile

People either get excited over the thought of Valentine's Day or they turn their nose up at all the hype that surrounds this "day of love." Some have that special someone to share the day with, while for others it's a bitter reminder of singless, which some equate with loneliness. I've been on both sides of the fence.

As I think about the word "LOVE" and all the things in life I say I love, an interesting mixture of emotions rushes over me. I know what you're doing; you're thinkign about all the things in life that you say you love. Now that your wheels are turning, let's chat about this.

So many times, I catch myself saying I love chocoalate ice cream, delectable cupcakes, a steaming hot shower, a warm cup of coffee, wine with dinner, a challenging run while listening to my favorite tunes, seeing the sunrise over the water, long walks on the beach with the sound of the waves crashing along the shore. Ok, it's starting to sound like a singles want ad, but you get the idea. Yes, I do love each of these things and so many more that making a handwritten list of them all would probably circle the globe a time and a half. Each of these pleasures tickles the five basic senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. As I sit back and take a minute to embrace the mere thought of enjoying each one, my heart grins.

When I take this idea of love a step further and get past the tangible things I claim to love, a whole new level is awakened. This next level of love includes the emotions that are aroused from those tangible experiences, but steps into the realm past these simple things. This level encompasses all of the experiences that I love so dearly: a weekend trip with girlfriends full of laughs, shopping and good food; sunggling up with a blanket and getting lost in a good book for hours on end, escaping reality to live a created world momentarily; soaking in a bubble bath after a long day at the office as lavender scented candles offer a warm glow; chatting with a long distance friend for hours forgetting that time zones and hundreds of miles separate us only in the physical world, but our hearts still beat as one. These experiences make my heart go from just a grin, to a sweet smile.

Dive one more level into this thing called love and you find what is really at the heart of the matter, even if the things and experiences from the top two layers were stripped away. What might that be? None other than the relationships that entangle and enrich our lives. Shareing the beauty of life's relationships - and not just the romantic ones - is really what love is all about. These relationships, when I think upon them, are what really what make my heart go from a smile, to actually skipping a beat.

When you stop and think about the many relationships of life, it's almost an overwhelming idea as to the numerous roles we play in different people's lives, but simultaneously how exciting it is to be able to pour out that much love in the world. Then, reverse that and think about the wide variety of people we let into our lives and how they love on us to influence who we are, who we become, and who we desire to be in the future.

As a sister, a daughter and grand-daughter, a friend, a running companion, a co-worker, a college student-group advisor, a teacher to elementary school girls, an encourager, a travel enthusiast, a writer, a chocoholic, a wine connoissuer (one day), a self-proclaimed bookworm, a leader, a follower, a singer (shower only!), a conversationalist, an occasional cook and baker, I wish you a day filled with love, happiness, and all the things, experiences, but most of all, all the people that make your heart smile!