Having someone special in your life can be a magical, wonderful thing. I don’t want to demean the importance of that One Special Person in the slightest, but I do think it is a great disservice to many other people who are special in ways beyond romantic life partnership.
In the last month, I have had friends who joyfully expanded their families through children and weddings, and had others lose people from this world’s experience. While nominally these events, and related ones, like breakups, pairings, pet adoptions, and more, fall under these categories which I’ve been using so far in this post, each one is unique to the people involved. If nothing else (and there is plenty else), this really illustrates how a given type of relationship can vary so very greatly from one case to the next.
Every day, life is full of choices and experiences. In the past month, I have spent a lot of considering and reconsidering my life choices and goals, where they came from and how they’ve changed over time. They haven’t really changed, but I am coming to understand them, and therefore myself, better. Some things have been consistent throughout my life- the first job I remember wanting was to be a professional theatre actress, not for the stardom, but to go on world tours; for whatever reason, to my 5 or 6 year old mind, that was the surest path to travel. Since then, I’ve gone through astronaut, president, librarian, governor of an interstellar colony, bridge designer, theatre set/costume crew, and now my plan is to bring about World Peace (and then enter and win Miss Universe, and come up with some brilliantly quippy answer about doing something trivial since I’ll already have achieved world peace). Or something like that ;-)
To the common meaning, probably in part due to this streak of travellust in my psyche, I have very rarely had “someone special” in my life, and never on Valentine’s Day; in my meaning, I disagree. I haven’t had a significant other, a romantically special person, in a while, but I have had the great pleasure and honor of having people in my life whom I consider very special. There are a handful of people for whom I would do anything I can, and who would do likewise for me. There are those who I can talk to about anything, and those I can talk to about nothing- equally important, as one of you once pointed out. There are those who help me where I need it, and whom I am here for as well- there are few things which make me happier than to see these individuals happy. (The only things I can think of are one or two truly exceptional dances, and one particular time on a catamaran at sunset in Barbados). I am unspeakably grateful for these individuals in my life.
To close, what I think of Valentine’s Day. Despite not having (or being) a romantic Valentine on the day, I have never felt excluded. I love to see the love pouring in so many directions. Over time, I’ve celebrated Gal-entine’s, and Pal-entine’s, and probably other versions of anti-Valentine’s Days, but in Panama, I finally found the holiday which I had actually been unknowingly celebrating for years, and it is best wishes for this day that I send you-
Feliz Dia de Amor y Amistad- Happy Day of Love and Friendship!
