February Whispers

In the quiet stillness of February, nature's slow awakening mirrors love in all its forms. As the promise of spring approaches, invite gratitude for the many expressions of love woven throughout our lives.

The trees are silent. Crisp clean air slowly flutters around and through me, too cold to be entirely comfortable and too warm to be bundled amongst down and wool. Wind chimes echo the faint call of February’s whispers, a voice when nature has yet to be reborn. A solitary mourning dove breaks the stillness, reaching into my being and in its song mirroring the angst and anticipation within. One whose rhythm slowly starts to build. A longing for spring.

I close my eyes, sunshine warming my exposed face, though not enough to disperse with the necessity of dual layered shirts. Opening my eyes, I gaze across the land and mentally transform what now appears cold and barren into what will soon be blooms of every color, some meant for beauty and others for cuisine. Aromatic herbs carry scents both distinctive and calming as bumble bees and butterflies flit to and fro, a waltz amidst a dance floor us mere humans can only imagine. The single cry of the mourning dove is lost as an orchestra of birds begin their individual soliloquy, creating a masterpiece of complexity.

The promise of spring intoxicates the senses. February is a month of longing and yearning. A month of love.

Love takes all forms but Valentine’s Day, the self-branded day of love, is largely for the romantic variety. Romance is a welcome part of life, but to focus only on that aspect relegates the many other types of love to the periphery. 

Circumstances of life never quite go the way we anticipate. And it is in these moments that we are fortunate enough to bear witness to a more expansive, truer definition of love. The type of love that crescendos amidst the mountain peaks or the love that sits quiet and unassuming. The type of love that gently encourages or the love that challenges our belief systems. The type of love that lightens the day or the type of love that shifts foundations. The type of love that bridges distances geographically and emotionally or the love that shows us to move forward sometimes you have to burn bridges down.

A corresponding type of love exists for every condition and emotion.

Love amidst grief.

Love amidst healing.

Love amidst work.

Love amidst growing.

Love amidst loss.

Love amidst rebuilding.

Love amidst it all.

Love can come from unexpected places. A single unplanned act can be as powerful as many intentional ones. On a day that seems dedicated to romance almost exclusively, give thanks for the many people who have woven themselves through the tapestry of your life. The ones who may not be giving you chocolates but have given you so much more.

Mourning dove, I hear your call. Spring is coming but love never left.