Be My Valentine?

I've been thinking a lot recently about how much we truly know ourselves. We often have other people in our lives - maybe our partners, or siblings, a close friend - and we think, "Wow, I know them so well. I know they need coffee in the morning before they can create a human sentence. I know they love scary movies but are afraid of the dark. I know they are allergic to red wine and watermelon, but cantaloupe is fine."

We are so lucky to have people in our lives that we know on such an intimate level. In most cases, time is a gift in which we will continue to learn about their idiosyncrasies and tiny nuanced ways of communicating with the world. When you know someone well, you know their soul.

Lately I've been wondering - How well do I know... me? We are so quick to learn everything about those that we love, but what about our own love, our own self-knowledge? Why do we know our best friend's needs more than our own? I have some theories, but that could turn into a dissertation.

I do think it's worth contemplating our relationships with ourselves. You know as kids, we learned the Golden Rule, "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Sometimes I think we need to treat ourselves the way we treat others (assuming you're a nice person - if you're not, disregard). We deserve sweet words of affirmation, a bear hug of warmth (simply reach left hand to right shoulder, right arm to left, and squeeze!), a safe space to release our tears. We deserve to know ourselves and what we need.

So in honor of Valentine's Day, I invite you to learn a little something new about yourself. Most likely, you already knew that something, but you just forgot. We tend to forget pieces of ourselves when life is so hectic and hurtful and moving at the speed of light. But for today, while you're eating heart-shaped chocolates and cutout cookies decorated in pink frosting, pause for just a minute to re-learn (or learn for the first time) a gift about yourself. You have many gifts within you, and not every one has to be given away. Let's get to know ourselves.

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Cover image: https://sincerelykaterina.com/valentines-day-sugar-cookies/