Growing up in Australia, Valentine’s Day wasn’t the commercially pushed holiday it is in America.  In the following years the commercialism has spread.  When we settled in America, a part of the culture shock was realizing that every holiday was pushed and celebrated to its utmost. Being a preschool teacher I perpetuated this culture of  celebrating every holiday. The holidays were vehicles of having fun, always with many avenues of learning embedded.  At first I was at awe at these celebrations and totally drank the “Kool-Aid” with regards to wanting to decorate and – buy, buy, buy – for each holiday. Those candies and delicious treats just seem to taste different depending on the color of their wrapping, or what they are coated or smothered in. How much food coloring can one consume? Red, pink, and purple at Valentine’s Day. Light green, dark green, and bright, emerald green at St. Patrick’s Day. Pastel shades at Easter. Then in the aftermath, you have the opportunity to buy again, as “old” stock is marked down to make way for the next holiday. More is better right. Ching, ching, ching! Out of the consumer’s pockets into the retailer’s. They say , “Money makes the world go round!”

As I mature, and perhaps grow wiser, my need to consume is diminishing and my response to the commercialism is no longer salivation. Instead, my response is a need to remove myself from the cycle. Joining the cruising world is possibly one means of achieving this goal.  In the mission to fight commercialism,  I find myself contemplating life more and enjoying creating my own gifts and cards when I have the time. [Noting that being retired does not mean that you don’t work or that you are not busy; but perhaps that you have more control of what the activities will be.]

Time to step off my soap box.

I use my photographs to convey messages and pass on love. Some of you may have been recipients of my heartfelt massages and gifts created with love. Indeed my blog site is a part of the mission to send love messages and gifts out to my friends and family.

Sometimes I create something that gets gifted . The wonderful world of technology allows me to share these gifts multiple times. In this case, as a Valentine’s gift, I wish to share an art work which I gave to my parents on my recent visit to Australia. It came with a message which I have tweaked for my blog followers. It does not come in the traditional valentine’s colors, nor with the image of the traditional heart shape [ Perhaps this is a little protest and statement, working outside of the box and perceived social norms]

This abstract art emerged from colored ink dripped on  paper. I then used fine tip markers to find and create designs from the original chaos. In my experience and opinion life can be like this. We get thrown opportunities and experiences  in life which we can choose to embrace by stringing them together with a common thread of LOVE, both given and received. Love for and from our friends and family. Sometimes we find ourselves struggling  and frustrated and wonder why life can be difficult. At these times I meditate upon those “love threads”, the good in my life, the beautiful world around me, and for my many blessings.

In the moment when I looked at my creation, this is what I visualized. This is similar to finding pictures lurking in the clouds, creating pictures from scribbles, or visualising stories in my photographs. Maybe it is flapdoodling from my mind. My husband would say that is a scary place.

I am thankful for the strong foundation of love I have in my friends and  family.

May we all continue to grow and live in that LOVE and remember it is ever present. Make every day a Valentine’s Day of love gifts. May those gifts be any color of the rainbow, may the size or dollar cost not matter, and may they be as simple or complex as you desire.

[My apologies… I did not get off my soap box.]

LOVE IS IN THE AIR!

 

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