“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made”

Psalm 139:13-14 NKJV

I was all geared up to write some sentimental blog post about love and Valentine’s Day; however, these past two weeks have been the most stressful weeks I have experienced in quite some time. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. As a result, I was fatigued and suffered a headache which almost never happens. At one point, I didn’t think I would complete my blog for this week. In three attempts to write it, I accidentally deleted it from the computer twice (not once but twice!). I thought that perhaps it was not meant for me to deliver this word, but then I realized what God was really trying to say to me. During these two weeks, he took me through several experiences and showed me how to respond to the negative situations so that I would be able to relay it to you. God was teaching me that no matter what life throws at me, I need to take care of myself and love ME. So, that is exactly what I did. The following are some of the things I did to provide myself with some self-love and self-care during the past two weeks:

I hung out with friends who I knew would make me laugh uncontrollably.
I meditated.
I went to bed early to get extra sleep.
I went to the gym and my yoga class.
I watched limited TV; listened to music a lot.
I listened to ocean music/waterfalls at work, to calm my spirit, instead of my usual Kenny G and Luther Vandross.
I took a nice warm, candlelit bubble bath.
I enjoyed reading my new subscription to Oprah Magazine.

Yes, it is almost Valentine’s Day and I am sure you are excited and anticipating the expression of love you will receive from your spouse or significant other, whether it be a card, candy, flowers, jewelry, dinner or maybe a gift card to your favorite retail store or spa. Well, what if you don’t have a spouse or significant other and you won’t be receiving a gift? The answer is to treat and pamper yourself! I remember one Valentine’s Day, with jazz music playing, I took a nice, warm, candlelit bubble bath, dressed in my red satin pajamas afterward, ordered Chinese food from my favorite restaurant, had a glass of my favorite wine, and ordered a movie on Demand that I hadn’t seen. Boy, did I feel loved! Even if I didn’t have anyone who would express their love to me that year, one thing was for sure–I LOVED ME! When I love myself, I am thanking God for the wonderful creation he has made. As Psalm 139:14 states, I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

You must remember Valentine’s Day is one day; there are 364 other days in a year. Often times, we look for validation, comfort and happiness outside of ourselves. True happiness is when we look within and discover how to truly love ourselves. Don’t get me wrong; I love receiving gifts, but I don’t require a gift to validate me or make me feel good about myself. In an excerpt taken from Lupita Nyongo’s acceptance speech for the Black Women in Hollywood Award, she so eloquently stated, “What does sustain us…what is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and for those around you.”

Your list of self-love and self-care may be a little different from mine; however, I encourage you to do the simple things in life that make you happy that is not dependent upon anyone else. It may be eating ice cream, walking in a park, reading a book, or playing solitaire. Whatever it is, do what you enjoy and what relaxes you. I believe the late Whitney Houston said it best in one of her greatest hits, “The Greatest Love of All.”

I found the greatest love of all inside of me.

The greatest love of all

Is easy to achieve.

Learning to love yourself

It is the greatest love of all.

I would like to wish you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day!!! As always, please share your thoughts and comments.