Soul Path

Valentine’s Day may be just another day to some of you, but to others it is something special. Even though we are supposed to express our love to one another each and every day, February 14^th opens up a window of opportunity to those who can’t so easily communicate it.

The little boy gently took the Valentine’s Day packets down from the shelf, one by one. He would hold it for a second, shake his head, put it back and take another down and repeat. I was curious as to what he was doing, so in a non-stalker, non-threatening way, I looked through the candy on the other side of the aisle. It was maybe three minutes later that I heard a small voice behind me say, “Excuse me.” I turned to see the brown haired boy, with large green eyes standing next to me, looking crestfallen.

“Yes?” I asked him, now even more curious.

“Can you help me choose a Valentine for my mom?”

I looked around to see who he was with. I seemed to be a magnet for children and animals, but always worried that one day it would get me into trouble. As if reading my mind, he pointed across the aisle.

“My dad is over there and mom and dad have been fighting lately. He said he wasn’t going to get her anything for Valentine’s Day, so I thought that maybe if I did they wouldn’t fight anymore. I have $5,” he smiled and held up his bill.

I cannot tell you how badly I wanted to cry right then, but I held it together, pushed back the tears and walked with him to the card section. The cards he was looking at weren’t cards for adults, they were boxes of cartoon characters that you would give out to a class, but I didn’t want to criticize. “Well, what was the one that you first thought she would like, the first one you picked up?”

He thought for a second and walked over to a pink packet that had kittens on it. “These,” he proclaimed proudly.

“Then I think that those will do the job perfectly,” I smiled, wanting so badly to give him a hug.

“Thank you. I think so too. Mom loves kittens.” He held the packet close to him.

“Have a great Valentine’s Day and give your mom a hug from me.”

He nodded, still looking at his cards, and joined his dad. That little boy had the weight of the world on his shoulders, unbeknownst to his parents, and he was going to use the Hallmark Holiday, as some call it, to proclaim his love to his mom and attempt to heal the marriage of his parents.

As you and I both know, that young boy can’t save a marriage, but I am a hopeless romantic and I hope that they saw the hurt they were causing and tried to make amends. Releasing the bitterness and anger against someone you love (or once loved) is more healing than burying it. The more the anger piles up, the more the heart gets weighed down with negativity. We then fall off our soul path.

When people we love hurt us, it is a natural reaction to want to shield ourselves, and put protection around our hearts, to keep pain from entering. A shut down heart makes it impossible to open up and allow in happiness, great opportunities, and good people. However, when you open your heart, you have room for growth, forgiveness, and change. Most of all, you can let love in, again.

“There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life.”

On this Valentine’s Day, I wish you love and I wish you new beginnings so that you can once again find your soul path.

Love,

Kristy