Moments D662: Pampering Mani/Pedi Redux

Today is Valentine's Day.  This year is slightly different for me in that I have love in my life now.  That said, I still feel like V-Day is a "Hallmark" day.   It is, at most, a milestone which reminds me of all the other days of the year that we forget to appreciate those we love.  

This year, I wasn't planning on anything special for the evening.  Why not?  Well, because EQ and I try to celebrate us a little every day.  So my big plan:  introducedEQ to my (now) tradition for Valentine's Day:  A Mani/Pedi for us both!.

We spent some time post work pampering ourselves and enjoying a little chatter with the ladies at the salon. A side by side mani/pedi for EQ and I.  What a treat that was!  After we were all buffed up, we headed home to order in and curl up on the couch together.  Not a whole lot different than any other night, except the fact that EQ spoiled me greatly today.  This I had not expected.

EQ was bound and determined to make it a very special day for us as it is our first Valentine's Day together. He was successful!  

First of all, my morning started with a song that he created for me.  What!?  Really?  Yes!  That alone is the most touching thing anyone has ever done for me.  He later greeted me with an armful of flowers at lunch and showered me with words of love in a special card for me after dinner.

His point:  Valentine's Day is an opportunity to celebrate our love with a little more depth and frivolity. He did that with great charm today.   In the end it was the perfect way to spend our first Valentine's Day together. 

On some level, he's right.  Today is indeed an opportunity to pause and appreciate those you love.  All those you love!  So today's moment:  recognizing this point and conceding to EQ's vision for the day.

And so, I pause:  I am fortunate to have a man in my life that loves me sweetly and deeply.  I am also fortunate to have friends that love and appreciate me (and I them!).  I am grateful for my ever loving and supportive family.  And, in the spirit of EQ's perspective, I sent out text to many of my friends offering a reminder love today.  I even ended up sending out a couple of cards in the mail as a surprise.  

Today isn't easy for some because it's a day aimed at romantic love and those without it can find it a tedious day.  Today, I celebrated both, my romantic love and the love I have for those I am fortunate to have in my life.  

Which brings me back to my nail place.  When EQ and I first arrived the owner catcalled to us as we entered the door:  "She wins!"  She was talking about the fact that EQ is here in Toronto.

Yes.  I did win.  But not really in the way she thinks.

Moments appreciating a quiet moment with the man I love.

Moments realizing that Valentine's Day can be more than just a milestone to lost moments.

D363b: Earth Day

Happy Earth Day.

~RANT~

Glad you are celebrating the earth and her pains today. What are you doing the rest of the 364 days of the year to ease the pain?

Reminder milestones are great, but in this case, highly ineffective if we’re not doing something everyday to help dear mother earth.

~END RANT~

Carry on.

Moments D296: Pampering Mani/Pedi

Today is Valentine’s day. For me, it’s always been a “Hallmark” kinda day and it only seems worse as the years have passed. Don’t get me flowers on Valentine’s day. That’s lame. Surprise me in the middle of January or the end of March. After all, we should love, appreciate and tell the people we love how much they mean to us everyday.

I get it though. Sometimes life takes over and the mundane washes over us. It’s good to have a milestone to remind us to take a moment and appreciate those around us. I do, of course, take the time to tell those I love that I love them on Valentine’s Day. But the craze? That I avoid. And today always reminds me to find ways every day to appreciate the people I love.

So tonight, I took a moment for myself. I treated myself to a manicure and a pedicure. I was worried that the salon would be busy. Quite the contrary. It was a ghost town. I was the only customer there. Huh. I guess that means the coupled ladies in the hood had plans and the other single ladies (like most I know) tucked in and avoided being out on their own. {sigh} That saddened me a bit.

Personally, I’m okay being on my own tonight. I received a lot of love from people in my circles. What more can a girl ask for?

An insight: I’ve never believed in “true love”. We’re all connected. We are more connected with certain souls. This is what I believe. There are people that you just “fit” with. Is this true love? Not necessarily. It doesn’t need to be a lover to fit. It could be a best girlfriend, or a teacher, or a mentor. There are many levels of “fitting” and connecting, in my humble opinion.

My day will come when I find the right “partner in crime” again. I’m not worried about it as I was, maybe 6 months ago. I’m a pretty cool chick with a lot to offer and I’m happy with the friends and family that surround me.

And then my foot massage kicked in with a focused conversation (because there were no other distractions). I was very happy to have the place to myself.

Moments for oneself.

Moments of reflection and soap-boxing.

(sorry about that!)