A Love Letter to my Readers

What if I told you that every action should be a love letter? It’s February, and suddenly you’re insanely inspired while sporting your red or pink top and heart-shaped accessories replaying rom com scenes in your head (Sweet Home Alabama or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is probably on my agenda). But seriously, every action beyond Valentine’s Day truly should come from a place of love.

I am a HUGE fan of Valentine’s Day- the red and pink color combo, the excuse to wear cheap gaudy heart earrings, the cheesy T.J.Maxx decorations from the clearance section… it gives me all the warm, fuzzy, whimsical feels. I think we can all agree that our pupils gleam a little brighter when we open a box of conversation hearts and soak up the bright colors and witty sayings.

Why do these almost gimmicky pieces of a holiday make us feel this way? Well, at their core, they represent love. No matter what your relationship status is, the true meaning of love is something to celebrate because it’s one of the purest, authentic, optimistic attributes you can give to this world.

Love is powerful. With every greeting you give your professor (even on the days of exams), embrace you offer your dog, call you make to your grandma, and text you send your friends, they should notice your love. You should let all that you do, even the little things, be done in love.

So, in the spirit of defining, outlining, and inspiring love, I’ve written and love letter to you, my readers:

Dear friends,

First, I want you to know how loved you are by our Father. You are held, called, and made strong. Because of His love, you can love too.

Love comes from humility and peace, and it is important to a) recognize the love that has been given to you and b) replicate the love that has been given to you. We love, truly, because He first loved us.

Love drowns out negativity and motivates the soul. Love is craved in every corner of this world.

I hope my encouragement to sprinkle love makes you feel loved. I’ve found that humans are most encouraged when they’re encouraging and flowing with positivity, so I want to lovingly encourage you to exude love in your everyday steps.

To shower you with love, let me offer some pieces of advice:

• Take a moment every day to reflect on the little things that bring you joy. Those are the things you love. The sunshine needs your appreciation, your pet needs your attention, your music library needs your ear. Learn to love those things to the fullest, if they align with what is good and true.

• Find a place in your heart for everyone you meet. Everyone deserves a smile, a handshake, and a prayer. Even if you don’t know them by name or will likely never see them again, you can open up your heart by flashing sincerity with your teeth. If you redirect your thoughts to see the positive instead of the negative, loving people will become a piece of cake.

• Love your place and every moment in it. You are sitting, standing, living, breathing, eating where you’re at for a reason. Even if you’re on aisle 7 at Walmart looking for dental floss, you’re still there for a reason. Appreciate your surroundings, and love that you have been placed in someone’s path to share a breath of life or a few seconds of the day with them.

• Look at yourself (when you pass your mirror or open your snapchat camera, whatever you have to do to get a good look), and admire the person you are. Don’t look at yourself conceitedly or only admire your new hairdo, but look at your eyes that are used to see the good. Look at your lips that speak words of affirmation. Look at your hands that craft work and assignments. Look at your ears that hear the beauty of people’s voices. Know that every part of you is beautifully capable of stirring up a revolution of love to those around you. You have every tool you need.

I believe in you, and I believe in your heart. These simple actions are achievable through an open heart and a Christlike mentality. Let’s celebrate the meaning and power of harmonious love beyond this holiday, and let’s make every action a love letter.

Love,

Kaelin