The True Meaning of Valentine’s

The Most Important Kind of Love to Celebrate

It’s been a brutal winter here in Ohio.  There’s been lots of cold weather, like below zero degree weather and lots of snow and at times icy, dangerous roads.  We’ve had so much snow that we have to climb up the snow hills around the mailbox in order to get the mail.

And we now have a “cool”  balance beam snow fortress in our front yard!

I’ve set a record this year for the amount of days I’ve stayed in my house without leaving.

Mostly because the thought of going outside to warm up the car (if it even will start), coming back in to a screaming baby because he does not like when I put him down for even a minute, trying to properly dress four little children for freezing temperatures and get them in the car…

then using my way too small ice scraper to chip at the ice impacted to the car (and always the same thoughts go through my head, why do they even sell ice scrapers this small, why did we buy it, and why haven’t I bought a new one yet)!

Then get in the car to a still crying baby because again I wasn’t in his 5 inch radius, with other children trying “to help” him by singing/screaming on the top of their lungs, then having to contort myself around to put on my almost 3 year old daughter’s seatbelt who has buckled her seatbelt by herself for months but now refuses to do it.

I’ll stop here, I think you get the visual as to 1). Why I haven’t left the house much this winter? and 2).  Why it’s been a long winter?

SO, when a couple of days ago the sun came out and temperatures finally broke 30 degrees I looked out the window and saw this happening.  And much to my surprise a kind of sad, sentimental feeling came over me.

Why was I sad?  Wasn’t I happy the sun was finally shining and the snow melting???  I’ve been wishing for this moment for a LONG time.

As I thought about it for awhile I realized that the last time I had witnessed melting snow was when I was watching the Frozen movie with my boys. [SPOILER ALERT:  If you have not seen the Frozen movie yet and plan to, stop here and skip to the next picture).   I remembered that the scene where Olaf is willing to melt for Anna had really touched me.

It was a stark contrast to the Prince who had just left her to die.  He was motivated by greed, power, and love of self.   Whereas, Olaf’s motives were pure, kind, and self-less.  He was willing to put her life above his own because of love–true love (hey, no Princess Bride accents).

Sometimes as Mom I feel like I do a lot of this–

I’m running out of energy, patience, time, I’m melting and all I want to do is to check out and do my own thing but I can’t!  I have dinner to get on the table, a baby to comfort, and tiff to help settle, homework to check, a nose to wipe.  In these moments I feel like Olaf in this picture.  I’m melting but trying my best to keep myself together for the well being of my family.

I know I’m not alone in this for this is what we do on a regular basis as parents and hopefully as spouses, as family members, and as trusted friends.  At times this love is even bestowed upon a perfect stranger.  This my friends is true love (I said no Princess Bride accents), the kind of love that I like to think Valentine’s is really about.

Just to clarify I’m not talking about an unhealthy kind of co-dependent “love” where the person has no self-esteem and so they do whatever everybody else wants them to do.  And, don’t worry I do get time to myself to recharge and do what I want.  It’s so important to recharge or in Olaf’s case refrigerate!

I’m just sayin’ that demonstrating true love does require sacrifice and can make us feel uncomfortable at times.  True love won’t burn you but it will melt you from time to time!

And quite frankly “some people ARE worth melting for”!  And especially when they are pint-sized and walk around the snow saying cute things like, “Look, Mom, I not falling.  I’m being carefully”.  Aw, carefully, not careful, my heart is melting!

So, don’t have a romantic evening out planned this year?  Don’t have a Valentine’s???  That’s okay celebrate true love and go do something nice for someone, anyone!

Because there is someone who believed and still believes we were ALL worth melting for and YOU are!

Happy Valentine’s Day! 🙂