Unpublished Work © 2011 Cristina Carlino  

He loves me…oh by the way he really loves me… he loves me not.  Remember that from grammar school?  (Or perhaps yesterday or last Valentine’s? )  My single favorite holiday growing up was Valentine’s Day. Remember the old Valentine’s Boxes i.e., shoe boxes, the pink or red tissue paper (if you were lucky), the retro Valentine’s cards, and the  chance to play postman and cupid all in one day?   Remember that one valentine you wrote for the boy in the second grade that you were just sure you would marry one day.   (Ever wonder where he is today?)

The key was the teachers would say that if you bring a Valentine’s for anyone you need to bring a card for everyone.  Everyone in the class. Nobody should feel left out from being loved.  And nobody needs be left out from loving.  Or as the great writer,  Zora Neale Hurston said,

“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.”

So this week, my  tiny action for big change  and this Year of the Butterfly Valentine’s Day is to let my soul crawl out from any spaces I may be still be hanging out in and  holding back from.   I’m going to let go.  Plus, for fun, I’m making my own Valentine’s box.  Will you join me?  Try putting a kids V-Day  card  inside for every soul you need to finally love yourself enough to forgive.  Then one for every person who needs to forgive you.  And for a world that needs all the love you have to give.  Need a few ideas for the messages ?  Start with the old fashioned:

Be Mine

Kiss Me

Will you Be My Valentine?

Falling for You

Cool Cat, Puppy Love

You Rule

You Rock

You’re Awesome

And then make up some new candy heart messages of your own.  Here’s a few of mine:

Because I Accept Myself as I am

I Accept You As You Are

And Who We all Are

Heart to Heart

Soul to Soul

Thank you for Listening and Hearing Me

Compassion is my fashion

(and call me old fashion, but I’m filling the Valentines Box with no texting, no e-mails, at least please on this day, thank you very much)

And then finally, write that one magical card to either thank the love of your life for arriving or to remind the love of your life you are still here and waiting for them to show.  Then do the unthinkable.  Tuck that last beautiful note away.

Let the universe handle the rest.   Surrender. That’s what true love is really all about.

Xoxo marks the spot! 365 Days of the Year.

With grace and gratitude,

Cristina