Hello, Mamas,

 Welcome to February, the month of Love.

With valentine’s day fast approaching, so many people are trying to plan something special to show their loved ones how much they mean. From a box of chocolates and stuffed animals to flowers and romantic dinner, there are many ways to show or receive this gift of Love. 

Although Valentine’s day is a beautiful sentiment, it has never been one of my favorite holidays. When my husband and I were dating, we discussed marriage often. One evening we saw a show where a man had proposed to a woman on Valentine’s Day. I looked at Matt and said, “Don’t ever do that to me.”

He looked at me surprised and said, “why not? I thought it was romantic.”

In disbelief, I said, “proposing on a holiday is a cop-out. A man shouldn’t need a holiday to ask a woman to be his wife. If you ever purpose to me, it should be because you gave it a good amount of thought without a holiday attached.”

Matt proposed a week later, February 13th. Honestly, I was shocked, and after I accepted the proposal, he said, “it was not on Valentine’s Day.“

Even though that was so long ago, I still feel the same. I don’t think there is anything wrong with celebrating our loved ones and showing love for them. However, I do feel like we give this holiday too much weight. We should be taking time for each other regularly throughout the year, not just on a particular day.

This month, as we continue to give love to others, I challenge you to take the time to love yourself. Yup, I said it. It’s time to learn to love ourselves and all our imperfections. When we fill our cup, it’s easier to pour our love into those around us.