Conversation from Friday afternoon:

Me: hey, do you wanna do something on Monday?

Gerber: umm, sure. What’s on Monday?

{awkward silence}

Me: Dia del Cariño. Ya know, Valentine’s Day?

Gerber: ooohhhhh, right.

♥  ♥  ♥

Monday is Valentine’s Day or as we say in Guatemala, Dia del Cariño. Here Dia del Cariño is generally celebrated by niños en la escuela and is not a huge holiday for people over the age of 14. However, it’s funny how in the states this hallmark made, florist exploited holiday has been marketed to mainstream society. And a day that is supposed to be about showing love to those you care about easily becomes something else.

In light of Valentine’s Day and Dia del Cariño here is what I’ve been learning about love recently:

Love gives the freedom to be yourself, but also the challenge to become a better person. ♥  Love leaves room for mistakes. ♥  No one knows how to love well until you practice. ♥ “I love you” and “I am sorry” hold equal importance.  ♥ You can’t love someone else well, until you learn to love yourself. ♥  “I was right” should be said with caution and used in very small doses. ♥ Sometimes love means simply listening, and not always sharing your opinion.  ♥ Communication is a fine art, that takes dedicated practice. ♥  Being honest about the little things, make trust in the big things a lot easier.  ♥  Love can make you feel so comfortable, that it’s easy to give our leftovers to the person we love the most and our best to strangers and acquaintances. I think it should be reversed.  ♥  Hugs should be given in abundance. ♥  I am convinced we should laugh the most with those we love. ♥ Love involves waiting. ♥  Love hopes for someone, when they’ve lost the energy to hope for themselves.  ♥ Love lets dreams and ideas flourish, but also holds them loosely. ♥  Manipulation and control bring nothing good. ♥  Love is persistence through the process. ♥  Love reminds us of the One who first loved us. ♥  Some people love talking about calendars and dates, some people don’t. Love means finding a balance. ♥  Love stands consistent through the tears, anger, disappointment, and grief.  ♥  Love gives permission to agree to disagree. ♥  Love learns to live between “let’s see what happens” and “let’s make something happen.” ♥  Love allows room for change and growth. ♥  Love celebrates the little things.

Whether you spend today with a dear friend, a wonderful sister, a tiny child, a faithful spouse or an incredible boyfriend, my hope and prayer is  that we may learn how to love others well.

♥  ♥  ♥

photo credit: sister72