Valentine's Day, Schmalentine's Day
/Perhaps it's because my parents were married on February 14th, and this day was first and foremost my parents’ anniversary. Or maybe it’s because my husband told me when we first started dating that he'd never bring me flowers. (He said he'd rather grow live ones than give me dying ones, and flowers bloom all year round here in Florida, so it's like we celebrate our love all the time. Thanks, Nature!) ... But this day of love is no biggie to me.
Instead, what I love is Leslie Knope’s idea of Galentine's Day, 2/13, when we celebrate our girlfriends.
So, I'm celebrating my girlfriends this week and I recommend you do, too!
Even if you don’t identify as a woman, you can still take this as a chance to honor the friendships in your life—to honor the people who are your rocks.
A lot of us end up feeling lonely on a week like this, so here are a few ways to reconnect and build your friendships:
Send a text message just to say hi. It will brighten their day to see it.
Feeling wordy? Write an email with a bit about what’s going on with you, and ask questions about what’s going on with them.
Take 15 minutes to send a package to a friend that lives elsewhere. I did this a few weeks ago; I sent two packages to people who had no idea they were getting them. It was fun and it helped us stay connected!
Write on social media what you love about your friend and tag them. We all need more positive posts in our feeds and your friend will love the shout-out!
Just pick up the phone and give them a call for Pete’s sake. Since we so rarely speak on the phone these days, when I talk with my friends, it feels like such a treat. I love it when I see a friend is calling unexpectedly and we get to chat—even if only for a few minutes.
What are the ways that you like to reconnect with your friends?
Before you let me know in the comments, take action on one of these ideas (or one of your own), and then let me know what you did. I want us to turn a ripple of connection into waves of love spreading all around.
