FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR LIFE FOR VALENTINE'S

Yesterday I saw a simple sign in a vintage shop with these words: 

 Fall in Love with Your Life

It was lettered in beautiful calligraphy on a piece of white-painted wood.  A plaque to hang  somewhere as an invitation I thought, a Valentine's day invitation, kind of like, "Be your Own Valentine" in a very un-lonely happy way.  

There is so much to love about our life, I bet you love yours already.  I love mine. Of course, there are things I wish hadn't happened, and things I wish I could change.  I have to admit that.  But not my whole life itself; not my life for someone else's, someone else's history, thoughts, being.  No. Never. So I'm thinking for Valentine's Day 2018 it's time to fall in love with our life all over again.  

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What might this entail? Well, of course it could include falling in love again with the people we depend upon and letting them know.  Valentine's is perfect for that.  Making someone a special cake, or giving flowers, or knit socks or a hat. There are as many ways to show appreciation as there are creative people.  I found a tiny train for my granddaughter for her dollhouse.  Theatre tickets for my husband and me.  I owe my cousin a special phone call.  

But falling in love with our life also means loving our homes, our pets, our hobbies, the objects around our house that help define us.  Our talismans.  I love my house when it's clean.  Here is a very clean room: 

I also--sometimes--even love cleaning my house, attacking dust curls with the Swiffer and then relaxing. 

Time-out after Cleaning

I love my dog, Mr. very sweet Wiggles.  Here he is luxuriating on a blanket.  

But to love our lives properly we also have to love our comfort zones, our ways of doing things, our ways of coping and ourselves.  We have to love not only people, but also the things that tell the stories about who we are.  This might be our first painting, a childhood toy or doll, a photograph of a sad or a happy time, something our mother gave us (I have Nina Naomi's wicker dresser, some of her quilts and antique plates, her jewelry. . . .), something only we would know has meaning.  We have to appreciate our skills and our knowledge, how well we do at work, how good a family member, spouse or partner, parent or grandparent we are.

What else can we love about our lives?  We might love our opportunities to pray, think or meditate. 

Otje van der Lelij, Dutch Illustrator

Many of us love being alone, especially with nature or art.  Dutch philosopher Mieke Boon says that nature and art can give us a feeling of transcendence, can make us feel like we are rising above our daily troubles. We gain insight into how we think, feel and observe.  If we are in touch with nature and art we can love that about our life.  

First Orchid of the Year, Banyan Rd., Vero Beach, Florida

We can love that we are able to find things that are absorbing enough, interesting enough, or exciting enough to hold our full attention.  We can love and appreciate the ways we have learned to cope with fear, sadness, anger, stress and pain. We can love that about ourselves.   

So, my Valentine's wish for myself and everyone is to just to love our lives--all the good things, all the hard things, all the beautiful things, all the mismatched and shapeless things, all the transcendent things, all the people who give us what we need and even the people who don't. Let's have a wonderful February 14, 2018!  With love, Nina Naomi