The store is bursting with activity. People stand in line arms overflowing with large red hearts and other love professing products.<\/p>\n
I hear a young father in the isle next to me with his two young boys.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t wanna pick a card,\u201d the boys protest. Obviously, turned off by tons of heart bearing I love you cards.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just gotta pick one,\u201d says the frenzied dad. He is trying to catch them as they both head in opposite escape routes determined to flee the yucky \u2018love\u2019 isle of cards.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s stupid,\u201d the boys say in unison.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all stupid,\u201d says the dad. \u201cWe gotta do it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, I can\u2019t help but snicker.<\/p>\n
I pass the flowers. They are red and glitter hearts hang from the vases while chocolates nestle between them. All I can think is how beautiful they are\u2026how beautiful love is.<\/p>\n
The past week I field calls and presents from family and friends. Their attention confuses me until I realize they are all rallying for Valentine\u2019s Day. They worry for about me now that I have lost love.<\/p>\n
Later in the day my phone rings. It\u2019s my friend \u201cMarla.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you come over for dinner tomorrow,\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d I say. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about me. The holidays don\u2019t bother me. I am not sad or preoccupied.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you sure?\u201d probes Marla.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I respond gratefully. \u201cOn the contrary, holidays have always represented joy to me and make me feel like a little kid again. When I saw the flowers today I actually stopped to take them in because they were that beautiful. They do not represent sadness to me at all. Instead, all I could think was what a great holiday. How can it be anything, but great to spread love?\u201d<\/p>\n
As Marla and I continue to chat I have an epiphany. I realize why I don\u2019t find my now husbandless holidays sad.<\/p>\n
I was not with someone who sent me flowers, brought me candy or wrote me love notes. The times that I did get those things they were an obligation. In fact, much like the two little protesting grocery store boys.<\/p>\n
The flowers do not represent sadness to me because I have nearly no memories of any that carried love along with them.<\/p>\n
I have not spent these years with someone who found the holidays an occasion to tell me that I was loved, I was special, I meant something to him and that I was worth taking the time to love.<\/p>\n
This holiday just reinforces that I am heading in the right direction because how can it be anything, but great to spread love? I don\u2019t want flowers, candy or cards. That is unless they are also carrying love along with them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Follow me on Facebook @Colleen Sheehy Orme
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\nE-mail: Colleen.Sheehy.Orme@gmail.com
\nwww.colleensheehyorme.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The store is bursting with activity. People stand in line arms overflowing with large red hearts and other love professing products. I hear a young father in the isle next to me with his two young boys. \u201cI don\u2019t wanna pick a card,\u201d the boys protest. Obviously, turned off by tons of heart bearing I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":575,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,1,14,3,24,29,9],"tags":[82,5,229,4],"class_list":["post-455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-catholic","category-divorce-2","category-inspiration","category-marriage","category-prayer","category-self-improvement","category-spirituality","tag-dating","tag-love","tag-marriage","tag-relationships"],"yoast_head":"\n