Tag: Valentine’s Day

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? THAT’S OKAY!

I mean, don’t get me wrong—I very much DO have a handful of EPIC ride-or-die “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.

A room full of people doesn’t guarantee a single real connection. Sometimes being unseen and unheard can feel lonelier than being by yourself.

Meanwhile, Haruki Murakami writes in his story “U.F.O. in Kushiro”:

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

— Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin

Both of these thoughts make me sad for anyone who hasn’t yet learned to “see, hear, and understand” themselves so that they never feel alone, even in a crowded room, and even sadder for those who 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 Zach used to sing to me all the time, “When The Seasons Change” by Five Finger Death Punch (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, look for me on the divide. 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. I won’t let you down. When the seasons change.

— Five Finger Death Punch, “When The Seasons Change”

See also: “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 on 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, and we have 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 not just to me, but to 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, and then grab a box of chocolates. YOU CAN DO THAT!