Hey there, beautiful friend!
Today I send you a wispy dandelion, ready for a wish.
I send you the color of limes and leaves and avocado meat.
I send you a little bird whose name you do not know, but whose yellow stripes make you smile.
***
Welcome to your Sunday audio LoveGram.
In today’s LoveGram, we’re sipping our coffee and talking about Valentine’s Day.
We’re not talkin’ about the Hallmarky kind of holiday — chocolates and roses and romantic kisses —but rather, about the kind of Valentine’s Day where we reach out to someone with a simple message of love.
No grand gestures necessary! Just simple good-hearted, doesn’t-take-a-lot of time love.
In my audio, I give you a little ladder of possibilities of how you can connect with someone and make their day. It can be as simple as sending a loving text to creating an in-person memorable moment. And everything in between.
(To listen to the audio, just click over to this page, scroll down, and hit “play” on the audio player.)
***
In my audio, I encourage you to use Valentine’s as a prompt to consider whether there is someone in your life who might need an extra boost of love.
Yesterday, there was an essay by David Brooks in the New York Times called, “How Do You Serve a Friend in Despair?”
Brooks told the story of a friend who took his own life. This person was generally seen to be happy, but he slipped into a dark hole.
Brooks wrote, “I wish I had bombarded Pete with more small touches. Just small emails to let him know how much he was on my mind. Writing about his own depression in The Atlantic last year, Jeffrey Ruoff mentioned that his brother sent him over 700 postcards over the years, from all 50 states, Central America, Canada and Asia. Those kinds of touches say: I’m with you. No response necessary.”
Those “small touches” are no small thing. They can be HUGE when we are on the receiving end of them and they help us feel loved.
Think about it? Have you ever received a little love from someone at JUST the right time when you were exhausted or in the dark?
Will you use Valentine’s Day as a nudge to send a boost of love to someone in your life who may be feeling sad, lost, or lonely? Think about who has been recently divorced or experienced a death. Maybe there is someone who lost out on a dream they had?
We don’t always know when our friends need to hear from us. We don’t always know when they are having a hard time.
AND, most importantly, someone doesn’t have to be in a challenging place for us to want to connect, right?
We can be the ones to keep the web of friendship strong so that our friends know they are loved and appreciated.
The best thing is, the reaching out itself feels really really good to our own selves! When we give, we are always the first recipient of that love! (What a great system!)
***
I see your generous heart.
I know you want to be there for people you love.
I applaud you for being this kind of person. The people in your life love you for this, too.
Be intentional.
Be courageous.
Be willing to initiate deeper connections.
You will be so happy that you did.
Email me and let me know who you reached out to this week and how good it felt. I can’t wait to hear!!
Seek celebration — even in dark corners,
xo Sherry
P.S. If YOU are going through a hard time please reach out to someone. Don’t hide. Your courage and vulnerability in asking for a boost of love will likely inspire others to do the same when they need it!