FEBRUARY 14, 2024: “Song Of MYSELF!” …

So, tell me, friend. WHO’S YOUR PERSON? As for me, I can honestly say that other than my kids and my ailing German Shepherd who’s just about to cross the bridge, my “person” is ME. Just me. Guess what, though? THAT’S OKAY! I mean, don’t get me wrong, folks – I very much DO have a handful of EPIC ride or die “I got your clockers” in this life, some of whom I’ve never even met, but those women all have lives and families of their own, so, logistically speaking, I’m on my own here.

George Orwell once said,

The most terrible loneliness is not the kind that comes from being alone, but from being misunderstood. It is the loneliness of standing in a crowded room, surrounded by people who do not see you, who do not hear you, who do not know the true essence of who you are.

Meanwhile, Haruki Murakami once said,

No matter how far you travel, you can never get away from yourself.

Both these quotes make me sad for anyone who hasn’t yet learned to “see, hear, and understand” themselves such that they are never alone in a crowded room, and even sadder for those who feel the need to “get away from themselves”.

Have I ever told you that I sing love songs to myself? Like, as in I literally SING to myself … every day! It’s called “That Music Thing” and it’s one of the most valuable mental wealth hacks I’ve ever empowered myself with. One of my all time favorite “songs of myself” is one that Zack used to sing me all the time, “When The Seasons Change” by 5FDP. The powerful lyrics are the one food (for my soul) that I’m actually proud to be addicted to:

When the seasons change and we’re in for colder weather I won’t let you down when the seasons change. I won’t go down. I’ll fight through the pain. I’ll be there right by your side. I’ll never let them bring you down when the seasons change.

(“A Tree For All Seasons“)

That’s right! Every single time I sing it to myself, and even now as I’m typing this, I literally picture myself “standing at the divide” like a knight in my own shining armor outside of the fortress, not hiding in it!

Let’s face it, people, not everyone does have that one person to call “home”. Sometimes life has different plans for us, which is to learn how to fortify ourselves into steel magnolias standing tall, strong, and sometimes even alone throughout our many changing seasons in the garden.

Treating ourselves kindly, patiently, and with unyielding amounts of unconditional love and self-care is one of THE best ways to accomplish that. So, SING TO YOURSELF like you are THE greatest love story of your life … ‘CAUSE YA SHOULD BE! Oh, and for the record, HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY to not just me, but anyone else out there who’s celebrating themselves “alone” but NOT lonely today! Go and buy yourself some flowers, maybe even treat yourself to dinner, then grab a box of chocolates. YOU CAN DO THAT!