Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. I always become aware of this event in late January, when everything turns red, pink and glittery.
Hearts are aflutter all over town with that Someone Special atop every shopping list. All sizes of stuffed animals — monkeys, bears, frogs — sit on shelves wondering who will take them home this year. Nearby are boxes of chocolates, bags of heart-shaped candies and anything and everything with a love motif. I am wondering what I will wrap up in pink tissue paper and stuff into a gift bag complete with a message of my affections (the perfectly chosen Hallmark) for my sweetheart.
But wait a minute, are we missing something? Instead of thinking of the ones we fell in love with (or perhaps we’re just now falling) or the little ones that steal our hearts more each day, why not think of our first true loves — ourselves? Well, maybe not “instead of,” so how about “in addition to”? It might seem a bit selfish, but my suggestion for this Valentine’s Day is to take out a piece of paper and a pen or your iPad and make something special for you.
Have you ever made a list of things you can do for yourself? Well, of course not, since we are the last ones on our minds most of the time. That needs to change! Maybe it’s an hour of alone time in an Adirondack chair near a favorite spot in your own yard to read a book.
Perhaps your gift to you would be a cupcake for all those hard hours spent on the treadmill, or even a box of chocolates in a giant red heart-shaped, cellophane-covered box with your name on it. “To: Me, From: Me” sounds like a good thing in my opinion. You deserve it.
Write yourself a love letter. Tell yourself all the things you admire about that person you’ve been living with longer than anyone else. Use kind words. Be flattering, uplifting and, yes, honest. Don’t forget to sign it with hugs and kisses. Seal it and open it on Valentine’s Day, maybe after the kids have gone through all their sugary confections and school cards, when you have a moment to yourself.
Take some “me time.” Open it and read it aloud. It will surprise you. Also, if your life permits, do something you always wished you could do, like book a trip for a three-day cruise for you and a friend, tour a museum or art gallery all by yourself, or just marvel at something you find beautiful if it’s only an early spring flower in your yard.
Amuse yourself with one or two things you would never do for yourself, not in a million years, like paint your nails silver with pink polka dots. Schedule a massage, buy that low, plunging sequined dress even if you have nowhere to wear it (think positively), and dive into a new hair color or possibly a new cut, just to be daring.
My list gets longer by the minute, including sock monkeys for my little nieces, along with some pretty things my mama might swoon over this holiday … and I’m still unsure exactly what will make that sweetheart of mine happy this Feb. 14. But I’m also going to remember to fall in love with myself again. It’s a love story worth telling, even if you only tell yourself. Don’t you think?
Former Columbus resident David Creel has 20 years experience in the beauty industry and owns Beautiful With David salon in Jackson. Contact him at beautifulwithdavid@gmail.com.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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