Lovey Dovey Trees
Happiest Valentine’s Day to Everyone! Don’t you think for one second that you need a romantic love relationship to celebrate Valentine’s Day. You have all the love in the universe inside of you right NOW! We are surrounded by a matrix of loving relationships; mothers and daughters growing into friends, the vast love of sisters; handsome sons who are capable of building sheds and who have wonderful senses of humor, the beautiful company of friends, the unconditional love of our DOGS! We can melt into the love of the things that we do…walking in nature, cooking, yoga poses held through breaths, and sitting on docks. Leave the mail lady a little heart shaped box of chocolates in the mailbox for forging through huge mounds of snow. Smile at everyone today! All the love you give out will come flooding back to you one hundred fold. Most romantic love that we see in the movies and in real life doesn’t land up working because someone thinks that the other person will make them happy and complete them. Nobody can make you happy except yourself. The answer to all is inside of you, and will never be found in the other. What you are really searching for is union with God and you already have it!
When our nephews were in nursery school, they made the cutest project for Valentine’s Day. We Woodards loved the idea so much that we made one too. Imagine, a little deciduous tree stuck into a flower pot and covered with construction paper hearts. On each heart, you can write or put a picture of someone or something that you love; someone that you are beyond grateful for. Our lovey dovey tree has gotten bigger and bigger over the years until, presently, it takes up one whole corner of the dining room. I ADORE walking out into the woods, with the dog and the clippers looking for the perfect imperfect tree. It is as much fun as searching for and cutting down the Christmas tree. We have the faded heart ornaments from days gone by, the ones the kids made when they were little and couldn’t spell. Every year, we add new hearts as the blessings of new friends, puppies, new ski spots, and good college homes pour in.
Make your own lovey dovey tree and watch as Valentine’s Day becomes more magical. Be blown away by how much Love there is in your Life and how very much there is to be grateful for. My love goes out to all of you on this miraculous day that we have set aside to celebrate love in all its beautiful forms and especially to the very beloved Linc Woodard, who got me this blog as a wonderful gift 2 years ago on Valentine’s day.
