Odd Rituals & Excuses for Self-Love

I always found February to be a strange month. Lunar new year, the sports-bowl show, presidents day, and a weird little twenty-four hours where everything is literally some shade of pink, purple, or red. Proudly proclaiming, at least in the western part of the world, that love rules for one day.

As someone that is not conventionally beautiful, I’ve never been excited about it. Even during the times I did have partner(s) that wanted to do something to mark the occasion, I’d generally wave them off. My take is, if you won’t do it for me any other time of the year, why do it now? Maybe that’s a little cynical. But I’ve always been rather practical when it comes to displays of affection.

In that vein, my general stance on these things is to make it a self-love day. Get your favorites. Do it up and make it a party with others or make it a quiet evening in with your favorite pizza. My reasoning is that a lot of us spend most of the rest of the year showing our love to others, but we don’t take a moment to center and find our self-love, that fierce internal love that keeps us going whether we have partner(s), parents, siblings, children, or fur babies in our lives.

If you already have plans, no shade there. Maybe take a moment for yourself and reflect. Breathe. Write some intentions in the mode of self-love. After all, you are (for the most part) the only one in your head. At least until they figure out how to wire our brains to the web.

Some of the things I love and enjoy are unique chocolates and teas from different parts of the world. Anywhere I have traveled, I’m always on the hunt for these two things. And books. My luggage hated me for it, but it was so worth it when I got home.

Over the panini, my carefully horded stash disappeared. So, my next best go to, was books. My electronic and physical TBRs are wildly out of control now because of this. I’m not ashamed of this fact. I was writing and reading so much, it became a reflex to buy a book nearly as often as I bought a latte.

While I’ve cut back on the lattes, I haven’t cut back on the books. Though I have changed what kinds of books I buy. Just today I picked up a zine from a micropress that focuses on fat acceptance. I’m looking forward to reading it. These days I focus mostly on purchasing indie authors and if I am interested in something from the trad pub, I’ll get it from my local library with some exceptions.

My point is, if you’re reading this, while so many folks are going in for the heart shaped box, it’s okay to be selfish and/or treat it like any other day. Same for the dead guy celebrations in April. You have my permission, not that you need it.