FIVE DAYS & FIVE WAYS TO GET READY FOR VALENTINE’S. (Day 1)
By Tamara Fuller, Owner, The Velvet Note
February 14th is right around the corner.
Valentine’s Day—the day when we ensure the sustainability of chocolate manufacturers. The day when men trade their lunch hour to stand in line and have a custom-designed bouquet crafted at the Whole Foods floral counter (seriously, this should be a tourist attraction). The day when we make a point of saying “I love you” with a slight uptilt on the word “love” and a slight extension of the word “you”, indicating that what we reallywant to hear is those words comin’ back at ‘cha.
Okay, so I’m no relationship expert. I haven’t even found my person yet. And—as you can clearly discern–I have a healthy amount of skepticism around any holiday that amplifies something that we claim to value as part of the fabric of everyday life. Nevertheless, underneath my jaded exterior beats the heart of Love’s Head Cheerleader, wildly shaking my pom poms and rooting for any and all of you who choose to dive into the deep end of lifelong, committed affection. As a trained, keen observer of the human condition, the owner of Alpharetta’s Best Date Night, and the neighbor to The World’s Largest Brazilian Wax Salon, I am declaring myself to be properly credentialed to share my observations on what we do for love, especially as we head into the sweetest of holidays.
So here we go—
(#5–Sunday) Be willing to make yourself vulnerable. In some ways, it’s a jungle out there. I know. Real, grown up life is full of negotiations and trade deals, cases and chases, each of which is an illustration of who we choose to be in the world. We all have a character—an Avatar, of sorts—that gets us through the game, advances our agenda and protects us from harm. Of course, your Valentine likes and admires your avatar, but your Valentine is not in love with your Avatar. S(he) is in love with you. Yes, YOU, silly. The gooey, tender, imperfect you. The you who is willing to exchange your Tom Cruise action movie for a romantic comedy on Netflix (or vice versa). The you who speaks the truth about your feelings, even when it involves fear and uncertainty. The you who can laugh and not take yourself so seriously. The you who is willing to sing in public, off-key. The you who is willing to ask for help and say thank you. Let the vulnerable you come out to play this week. Start early. Start today. You will be surprised by what can happen when you insert something as simple as an unexpected and heartfelt “thank you” into the mix.
Coming Monday: Woo who?
