Valentine’s Day…Love You Unbutton

Here it comes…Another ominous square on the calendar that saturates some with glowing expectation, and turns others into anxiety driven guilt ridden mush.

A day that we are supposed to remember the ones we love with a bobble, a box of chocolates, or a sappy sentimental card.

So in the spirit of Cupid, let me say…

Love is a mystery. What is always puzzling is how it can go from mutual euphoric bliss to a mandatory prison sentence in a surprisingly short span of time. Often I run into couples who appear to be going through the motions out of necessity and routine. They share all the gestures of boredom, somehow clinging to a faded dream through a veil of disappointment.

I find that some confuse endurance with love. It’s easy to do. Endurance may make you feel productive. It is the space where you spend a great piece of time doing what you can’t imagine not doing because you don’t have the guts to do anything else.

But then there is love that bends spoons and curls toes. That kind of love removes the distractions of life. Any residual heartache conjugates effortlessly into past tense. Those dreams of super-sized happiness suddenly dangling within reach are pillowed in promises, leaving you giddy and dumb with desire. That sort of love washes you clean…offering joy you can taste…pleasure you can unbutton. The ancient dance we’ve come to instinctively, and somewhat conflictingly perform begins its rhythmic ritual. Strange how life is a struggle between independence of the self, and a sense of belonging.

We learn that love is not containable. It leaves our bodies spilling forth into the places we inhabit, out of our beds and backyards, morphing into daily courage, and provoking the souls of all we meet… Building a sacred path through eternity.

I still want to believe in the little flame that grows…that it doesn’t matter what one does or has…you fall in love with the essence…the kindness…the warmth. The incredible sense of rest and release you find with them. Somehow you understand that your meeting was never random, but you recognize each other from an era gone by…leaving you with the sense that the timeline has never been broken.

I want to believe that love is one of the great colors of life. Not the only shade, but certainly the dominant glow in the landscape.

So in all of these ramblings I want to wish you a happy Valentine’s Day. Whether you are single, married, in a relationship, or could give a damn about any of it. Enjoy the day…and every day after. Because as I have come to realize, life is just a reminder to live when you remember, become thoughtful of the present when the thought arises…rejoice in the people planted around you, whether they be roses or thistle. They are in your path to teach a lesson of love. And once in a blue moon, a mate may walk into your life who makes your heart stop, makes you sigh and hold your breath…makes you wet, wild, and smile often. Pull them in and treat them well.