For years, people from around the
globe have embraced February as a month of LOVE. They show their appreciation
for loved ones with cards, gifts, flowers, a romantic evening, and even with a
shiny diamond ring. This fantasized day marks a moment on every calendar for
people to set themselves aside and show their undying love for each other.
However, Valentines Day dates far beyond a romanticized day of love, it is a
day to honor a Christian martyr, a man who truly gave his life for love quite
like the icon of his faith. So, one way or the other, Valentines Day has been a
day for laying down your life for another.
This year Sensory Goods wanted to take a moment to
challenge our customers and readers to lay down their life in honor of love. In
a hurt and broken world, it will not take much to find someone around you in
need. We urge you to find someone in need and to selflessly give to the person
the most you can. Outlined below are a few simple steps to helping someone feel
loved in a month dedicated to love alone.
Acts of Service:
Simply doing something kind for
an individual can show them that that are not only loved, but it will show them
that they are cared for also. It could be that you are a husband that needs to
do the dishes for his wife, a girlfriend who needs to play video games with her
boyfriend, a child who needs to give their parent(s) a much needed break, or a
neighbor who needs to mow both your lawn and the one next door. Also, we must
not forget a personal favorite; you can always pay for the car behind you in
the Starbucks drive-thru.
Words of Affirmation:
Now this may be the easiest step
to showing someone love this time of year, but a simple word of encouragement
can really go a long way. It is not the words of advice that you so desperately
want to give, it is not the constructive criticism that you think is needed, it
is a kind and polite "good job" that will win someone’s heart. You
see, words are eternal; they can be forgiven but never taken back. So, this
month as you show love, even to the least, remember it could be a simplistic
acknowledgment of someone’s strengths that make love expound.
Quality Time:
You heard it America, Quality
Time can actually make a person not only feel loved, but it can make them feel
like the most important person to ever walk the face of the earth. In an age
plagued by cell phones, social media, and a slue of instantly gratifying
things, a moment of time spent with a loved one undistracted can make all the
difference. For instance, if it is not beyond you, take a moment to sit with
that homeless man on the corner this week and hear his story, it may be your
life that is changed forever, not just his.
Physical Touch:
Yes men, we are talking about the
hands on the body and the lips pressed against hers. You might not know this
but many women want it just as bad as you do. Even more interesting than that,
even the strangest of strangers can feel truly loved by a simple handshake or a
hug. So, this month let your random act of kindness by a hug to every person
you come in contact with. It may catch them off guard, but we think that is the
point.
Gifts:
This is the one that we do not
even need to explain. Whether it is a handmade card or a diamond engagement
ring (Remember, every Kiss begins with K), a gift of any kind will bring a
smile to a face.
So, now that we have listed some
general ideas of ways to express love unlike ever before, what will you do this
month to reveal your love?
