I use to hate the month of February! When I was single that is and at the beginning of our marriage due to ridiculous expectations! I mean who made up Valentine's Day anyway? Whoever did, they were really smart and I am jealous because the idea of Love is one everyone understands. Right?
Let's face it, we all want to be loved and if we are really being honest we all want to be loved in a magical, romantic way. I know I do, but full disclosure here, I married a man whose love language is not romance and definitely not gift giving. Mine is, maybe that is why I get caught and wrapped up in it. However, I married a man whose love language is time. It took a lot of years for me to embrace this and not get my feelings hurt. That is why I use to hate this month. The month of February puts so much pressure on anyone and everyone who wants to be loved romantically. So I decided to take this month at a different angle and embrace the word love, but take out the word romance in my head. This is hard when hallmark like commercials are on TV, but I can do it and so can you if you are anything like me.
I have decided this month, I will focus on love, but what I love and why I love it. I mean everything from my family to food and anything in between. This month, you guys will learn what really makes me tick and why. Some of it might be funny while some of it might be serious, but maybe you will get to know me a little more and maybe through it we will get passed the notion of Valentines has to be for lovers only and make Valentines fun for all!
I want to start off with talking to you about my new found love for writing. I LOVE writing. I love pouring my heart into what I write and sharing my stories, thoughts, pains, passions, and dreams, as well as others dreams and desires. There are so many good people in this world doing good that I really get a kick out of highlighting them and their passion. It feels good to help someone else pursue their dreams even if it only touches one person. And let's face it....it is so much better to hear feel good stories or stories about people doing good than what the daily news provides us! Right?
I love talking openly to you about my hurts and my disappointments. Why? Honestly, it is cathartic in a weird way, but inevitably someone usually, not always, ends up touched by what I am struggling with or they offer me some good advice or my pain might help that person if they are walking in my shoes to know they are not alone. It is really a magical thing when you feel like you are all alone in your hurt and you open it up to the world and someone says, "hey you are not alone." Something happens on the inside that makes you say, "I can do this and everything will be ok." After all, isn't that what we all want. To know we are ok?
I know it is what I needed when I was walking (I still am walking) through the grief of losing my mom. It helped me to hear stories from others in my shoes. It helped me to know that yes it does take a stupid long time to get through it. It was my mom and she was my best friend. I use to feel guilty for playing the dead mom card (terrible wording I know, but it is truth) months after she had passed. Then one reader messaged me and said, "hey this a long process when you lose a mom. Text books tell you give yourself 12-18 months, but I would tell you give yourself whatever you need." That helped me. That helped me see it is okay to still miss her EVERY day and once I gave myself that permission, I was able to live joyfully even in one of my greatest losses.
I love writing to you about my three greatest joys! Will, JP, and Graeme. I love sharing what I am reading and what I am cooking! I just love sharing! Not that I am that interesting, but I will say, when I do share something, whether it is positive or a trying situation, just the simple act of me writing about it and sharing it helps me grow! I realize every time I write a story how blessed I am. Blessed in general, blessed with you as an audience who can lift me up or offer advice, and blessed to have the ability to even do just that, write!
So this month I am choosing to write about love, not the romantic kind, but the kind that makes you happy like chocolate, or the kind that helps you heal, like writing, or the kind that makes you want to get up daily and see what the day shall bring, like my kids....This month I will share with you most of my loves! So grab a box of chocolates and sit back and enjoy!
xo,
Amy
