Remember the joy of waking up every morning in elementary school on the day of February 14th? For me, the air always smelled like the chocolate chip pancakes my mom was making. I would bound down the stairs to engulf heart-shaped pancakes. As I left for my carpool, I made sure to grab the giant bag of themed Valentine’s Day cards for all of my classmates. I had spent hours the days prior picking out which card I thought best matched my classmates’ personalities. Then once I hit middle school, the idea of Valentine’s Day cards just disappeared, forgotten in my memory of the preteen years. It’s a shame, because I remember feeling so good every Valentine’s Day because I had masses of handwritten cards from people in my life who meant something to me. Although the idea of cheap themed Valentine’s Day cards in cardboard boxes seem corny to me now, the idea behind the cards is something that we should take with us even in our college age.
When I was younger, I remember sitting at my dining room table spending hours thinking of what I was going to write on each card for all of my friends. Looking back on it now, why don’t we as a society do this more often? I don’t mean give out Valentine’s Day cards, but rather, why do we wait for Valentine’s Day to express to the people around us what we love about them. Because of this realization, this Valentine’s Day, I want to be more intentional about reaching out to the loved ones in my life, and letting them know why I appreciate them.
If you want to join me in spreading the love this Valentine’s Day, here are some practical and creative ways to make sure you can get to everyone on your list:
1. Send a text: Sometimes the people we love live far away or it is just impossible to see them in person. Make sure to set time aside to send them a thoughtful text message or, better yet, call them. Spend that time with them catching up, and also make sure you point out all of the things that you appreciate about them!
2. Give a gift: This one might seem a little cheesy, but it honestly will brighten someone’s day. This gift can be anything from flowers to paper towels for their apartment, just something small to let them know you’re thinking about them.
3. Spend some quality time: Reach out to those around you and set up coffee, lunch, or dinner dates with them. During that time, make sure to be intentional about letting them talk about whatever is on their mind. Make sure to sprinkle in compliments during your conversations.
These are just a few easy things that you can do in order to spread love on Valentine’s Day. However, it is important to note that spreading the love does not need to end just after Valentine’s Day. I encourage you to use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to start acknowledging the goodness of the people in your life, and continue to pay it forward even after the holiday is over.