Love is All Around

Is there any subject spanning the ages that has been written, sung and contemplated about more than love? How many battles have been fought and tragedies endured over love?

Seeking inspiration for writing a Valentine’s Day sentiment, I sorted through my late grandmother’s postcard collection and found a few valentines she had received between 1908 and 1913. The cards are little works of art, most printed in Germany or Saxony. Surprisingly, a number of messages included requests to let the senders know if she was still alive. It was hard to tell if the questions were asked in jest or if it was a very real concern given it was early in the twentieth century.

The cards inspire a lot of creative imaginings. They were mailed from distant places and I wonder about those who sent them and how they knew my grandmother.

Many folks save favourite cards and letters received from loved ones. The power of written words is being able to re-read them and be reminded of others’ affection and esteem for you. A little balm for the heart if needed.

The commercial nature of having a celebratory day that, historically, focussed solely on romance, has created cynicism in more recent times. Of course, love encompasses so much more than romantic matters of the heart and the feel-good magic we experience when in love.

We should not need a designated day to express how we feel to our nearest and dearest but Valentine’s Day does provide a hard-to-ignore nudge in case it has been a while.

For a bit of history on definitions of love check out this article: ‘What is Love? Famous Definitions from 400 years of Literary History’ at www.themarginalian.org.

Pondering what the larger meaning of love is to me, I think of joyfulness, contentment and connectedness. Being loving is also a choice we make that can shape an intentional frame of mind. A philosophy to live by. 

Love manifests itself in so many different ways in our daily lives. When we notice and embrace the love that comes our way, paying it forward becomes part of our nature. This does not always include cards and flowers and is not limited to one special day a year.

These days, our community, our country and the planet need a whole lotta love. 

What a perfect time to ramp up our own small gestures of love. If you believe in the butterfly effect, individual actions can collectively turn into millions of acts of kindness, tolerance, gentleness, inclusion, patience, thoughtfulness, acceptance, generousity, respect and so much more.  We might see that love really will conquer hate throughout humanity. 

Is love really all we need? Maybe not but it is a beautiful start.

For anyone who enjoys sending mail, the postal service in Loveland, Colorado creates a new postmark stamp every year. If you send them addressed cards with enough funds for postage, the valentines or letters will be stamped and forwarded from Loveland.