For many, the month of February is dominated by the Valentine's Holiday, when Cupid flutters about with his amorous arrows. The holiday got me thinking about relationships: the relationships between spouses and partners, between family and friends and of course, as an entrepreneur, I thought about the relationship between a business and its customers.
These relationships or connections play a large role in bringing definition to our life. Each connection possesses a different shape and size, it has a unique flavor and its own depth and breadth. Our connections feed and nourish us, they help sustain us through hardships and they make the high points in our lives that much more exquisite.
This is a great time to think about the connections in your life. Reflect on how they strengthen and uphold you. Think on that dear friend who always seems to say the right thing at the right time, or the parents who have loved you unconditionally all your life or that spouse who has laughed and cried with you over the years and who generally makes all the lifting you must do in life a little easier.
Perhaps you could also reflect on how you are all those things for the important people in your life. This isn't arrogance or conceit but rather a humble acknowledgement that love, relationships and connections of all types are a two way street and we often receive from others that which we have given (karma is fun that way). This may also lead to the insight that a connection may be frayed and in need of some attention. That is ok, you've noticed it now and can take a step to strengthen that bond.
I have the good fortune of having five amazing siblings. I am the baby by a quite a few years (let's just say I was...unplanned) and so didn't enjoy as tight of a bond as some of my other siblings who grew up together. In addition, we are geographically dispersed, stretching across NC to Texas and Washington state so that with the generally hectic nature of life we rarely all got together in one place. In the past year, this disconnection had started to weigh on me.
After some thought, I decided to start sending a weekly text to my siblings. Every Saturday morning I send a text letting them know how Julia and I are doing, what is going on in our lives and wishing them all well. Sometimes this gets only a few responses of "all well here" or "love to all" or "do you ever sleep". Sometimes it becomes a thread with scores of responses in which we share memories, encourage one another or laughe 'til we cry (yeah...all of this via text).
I hope this Valentine's day as you give out cards, flowers, chocolate or those little heart shaped candies (or some good smellin' soap...just a thought) you will take a moment to really reflect on the connections in your life. They make this journey we are on worth the effort.
~W