A Rebirth in Romantic Love
Valentine’s Day, that one magic day, that historically signifies romantic love. Gestures, expectations, and symbols of affection flood our hearts and our minds as we think about all the beauty that goes into a romantic relationships. For some, it is a time of remembrance of what is absent or something that has been lost. But for most, it feels like a celebration where we prove our love through flowers, dinners, and carefully chosen greeting cards. In some instances, the day becomes a measure of performance and in extreme cases, a measure of worth. Kind Rebirths approaches romantic love in a different way. True love with presence of awareness, along with consistency and intention, can out-perform gift-giving.
Romantic love is not something that has to be presented in opulent or outstanding spectacle. It does not have to be proven in grand displays. It is revealed through attentiveness, in the way someone listens without interrupting, or in the way someone remembers the small details. When I think about romantic love, I think of steadiness over performance. A Kind Rebirth in love is not about chasing intensity and impressive deliveries. It is about returning to presence.
From time to time, our egos begin to compete with the connection that we have with our partners. We start to protect our egos and pride by overcompensating or trying to out-perform the year before. We buy bigger or more expensive things. And in doing so we begin to lose some of the underlining meaning of romantic love or the true significance of the day. My gut tells me that romantic love doesn’t need the pomp and circumstance when it’s painted with awareness and practiced with consistency. Love isn’t built on one moment that is visible to everyone. It is built on a series of tiny, almost invisible little ones. And when I see that internal rebirth asking us to notice the moments when we start to protect pride more than our connection, hopefully we are able to slow down long enough to simply see the person in front of us instead of the things we’ve created around them.
A Kind Rebirth in love happens when presence replaces opulence. On Valentine’s Day, we can use this as an invitation to not only prove love, but to also observe how we can further embody it with our loved ones. Love does not require perfection; it requires willingness.
And if you find yourself single on this day like me, you are not forgotten. This too can be a Kind Rebirth. Romantic love does not validate our worth. Our acknowledgment of it validates that a capacity to love already exists within us. The ability to offer presence, respect, and emotional steadiness began (or begins) before any partner or any relationship. Nothing essential is missing because it will find you just as we learn to meet ourselves with the same peace, patience, and presence we intend to give others.
In the end, romantic love is not something we perform once a year. It is something we practice daily. Valentine’s Day can be a reminder that love grows best where awareness lives. Love grows wherever we stay present long enough to care with intention.
Stay Mindful…
Rebirth
