February’s Gratitude

Or, musings on Valentine's Day vs. Thanksgiving*

So this year more than any other it seems as I've been vocalizing some sort of disdain toward Valentine's Day. I say this because several people in my life have asked me why I hate Valentine's Day? For the record, I don't hate it and I don't recall ever saying I did. I love love, and I love expressions of said love, but I don't necessarily love Valentine's Day. More so, I don't love commercial things or feelings of obligation to express my emotions. It seems trite. That's all.

Maybe it's because I've been focusing on gratitude more these days as a result of my New Year's Resolution, but it seems like Valentine's Day and Thanksgiving aren't that different. In fact, in my book they are kind of cousins. Maybe because in my mind love and thankfulness go hand –in-hand.

Before you go getting all middle school on me and saying, "If you love sweet potatoes so much, why don't you marry them?," I know there is a difference between love and gratitude. To me, though, the main difference between these two holidays is Valentine's Day is an opportunity to celebrate people you love, and Thanksgiving is an opportunity to acknowledge lots more—good health, overcoming obstacles, memorable moments, laughter, walks in the woods…. And maybe that's just me.

Maybe it's because I've made a commitment to myself to not care about the material (some time ago something happened inside me and I was miraculously able to not care about or desire material possessions) and only care about experiences and things in my world that can't be held on to (like mountains and trees and rivers).

Enough of that and time for this month's gratitude list:

• I don't live in Egypt
  
• Designated drivers
  
• Humility
  
• Dancing
  
• Being able to laugh at myself
  
• New friends
  
• Old friends (particularly Brittany for bringing me advil and chic fil a when I was in desperate need)
  
• 70 degrees in February
  
• Sweet potato fries
  
• Extra income
  
• Texts saying "thanks for who you are," especially after this post on being vs. doing
  
• Playing with a great group of guys at the Academy
  
• Girl at Serenity Place pointing to my earring and saying, "bling!"
  
• Great connections with volunteers
  
• Another great afternoon with Academy guys
  
• (not so) accidental naps in the sauna
  
• Brit inviting me to Ben Sollee
  
• Coffee to warm my hands
  
• Electric blanket
  
• Valentine's cards
  
• Cards just because
  
• Mom (and not just because she got mad at me for not listing her last time)
  
• Trips to Asheville
  
• Taking the afternoon off and sitting barefoot in the park
  
• President's Day cards
  
• Surprise French fries from coworker
  
• Great conversations
  
• Surprise visits
  
• Cherry blossom and daffodil blooms
  
• Hard conversations
  
• Being called out when I'm not being the best person I can be
  
• Surprise frozen yogurt from a different coworker
  
• Haven't gotten the flu or stomach bug
  
• More good days at the Academy
  
• Birds chirping and sun shining when I wake up
  
• Vagina Monologues
  
• Sarah and Whitney (times 1000)
  
• Random Saturday night chats about agriculture and faith
  
• Sundays
  

*This post was written the day after Valentine's Day and has been waiting, along with the handful of other posts. I've been distracted, which is okay since less screen time was a resolution of mine.