In a world where apparent perfection is always just a mouse click away, I want to remind you that perfection is a myth.
It's a myth.
Let it go.
Because today you may feel like a Valentine flunkie.
Because your feed is full of heart-shaped cupcakes and buckets of roses and hand embroidered Valentines. And maybe you barely managed to hug and kiss your kids as they ran out the door in the morning.
Guilt.
Failure.
Dissapointment.
Don't buy in.
Because even without homemade chocolates and a pink and red heart-clad decorating scheme, you're still a kick-ass parent/partner/lover/friend.
Your love is what's real. Share that.
In my world, I sometimes go all out.
And those days our house is a delicious, crafty, magical wonderland.
Other times I don't.
Like today.
Today's festivities consisted of a quickly cut out heart-shaped card for each of the kids, made as I listened to their feet padding down the stairs in the morning. Each simply read, "I love you! <3 Mama" in partially dried out marker.
Oh, and I colored their milk pink at breakfast.
As for tangibles, that was it.
Nothing more.
And it was enough.
Today I want to absolve you of any guilt you feel because you didn't do something special, memorable, or Pinterest-worthy this Valentine's Day.
Because that's just the perfection myth trying to trip you up again.
It sure was over here.
Love,
Rachel
Love this!! Happy Valentine’s Day. 🙂
Love it! I agree. But needed a reminder. Thank you!
I didn’t do anything at all. I didn’t even tell my girls about Valentines day. They don’t know what it is. So I’ll just show them all the love I do everyday. 🙂
I’m so glad you are the opposite of main steam Rachel!
Yes, that is valentines day around here this year, too (though my big boy did surprise us with some nice little paper-cut hearts, and my husband made me laugh hysterically by giving me the cheesiest store-bought valentine card with a goofy puppy photo on it!!)
Thanks for the perfect post Rachel —
mb
p.s. I was thinking of you all this misty-moisty morning when my little guy & I visited a small local farm. Oh, the lambs!! so many lambs! xo
Sometimes we all do, Holly. I had a flicker yesterday of “I should have done more!” until I realized it wasn’t true. We have a lovely day.
🙂
Very sweet. Lupine surprised us all with handmade cards, too, and Pete stoked our wood-fired hot tub for a soak beneath the stars and the full winter moon. Life is good.
I woke up yesterday to find that my oldest (6) had made a card and given a piece of candy to his younger brother (4) all on his own. I helped the four year old pick out a cookie at the grocery store for his older brother later. I had gotten a card for my husband, and we had sushi and wine for dinner. That’s it. Just small reminders of our family’s love for each other. It was rather nice.
Yes beautiful thing to read, we don’t have so mush guilt factor over here, Valentine’s Day is big consumerism day here in Mexico, but it does not run too deep. I think that there are so many holidays over there that are meant to require so much effort and gifts from parents, that are also nice traditions, but often become a burden, I wish everyone could just feel enough and content. And I don’t mean all of this as mean critic, because we have other big social burdens in our own society, just not the same ones, we should all feel better about it.
I’m trying to remember this with all holidays and that a little something special on a normal day is lovely too. Simple, I’m finding, is always best.
Authentic and lovely. <3