Valentine's Misunderstanding

There is something so sickeningly sweet about Valentine's day. Like, sick to my stomach puke up my dinner sweet. Honestly, I am not the biggest fan. I have often thought it was a day that was just an excuse for couples to be extra couple-y and girls to demand presents from their significant others. Well, as I have come to think about it... My opinion hasn't changed much. BUT BUT BUT I think there is something often missed about Valentine's day. I have two points I wish to address.

1. Valentine's Day doesn't have to revolve around romance.
Valentine's day is the day of love and romance. Ew. But I think that often times, we can get caught up in the romance and forget the love. There are people who need us to express love to them more than anyone else. This is our families. Valentine's day is a day to look at the beauty of Love and to appreciate the people who show love often to us. These are the people who we should use Valentine's day to celebrate.

In some cases, this could be a boyfriend, girlfriend, fiance... But really, have we ever thought that maybe it is just our families that we could show our appreciation for the love they give us? As I have realized this, I realize how many opportunities I have missed moping around on Valentine's day to utilize it to the fullest.


2. Love is something misunderstood.
Now, the ultimate question: What is Love? (Baby don't hurt me! Don't hurt me! No more! Sorry... couldn't resist). Love is a complex and deep emotion. It is something so beautiful and something this world takes for granted. It is the feeling in the depths of our souls for another human being. Love what we should strive for. It is what we should search for. There is no greater feeling than to love and be loved. Love is losing all selfishness and wanting to make another happy. Seeing this other person happy makes you happy. Love is what our Father in Heaven feels for each and everyone of us. It is what he wants us to feel.


Let's lose ourselves and learn to love. Not for what someone appears to be, but for the depths of their soul For the actions they do and the words they speak. Let's serve one another and show our love through our actions. Let's be a person worth loving. If you can't love you, how can you love another?

Stop thinking that love is expressed constantly through gifts and worldly things. Let's say "I love you" more. Let's serve our fellow being and show God's love to all mankind. I love being a missionary because you really do learn to love others more than yourself. As we strive to love as God loves, we will become more like our Savior.

Let's Review!
Let's learn to love like our Savior. Why can't we use Valentine's Day to show our families how much we love them? How about this year, we do that? Take a moment and tell you parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. you love them and you will have your eyes opened to see how much that their Heavenly Father loves them. He loves all of you and wants us all to learn to love so we can become more like Him.

I truly do love you all!!

Love,
Sister Mackenzie Esmond