When I was twelve years old a large envelope thudded through the letter box. It was Valentine’s Day, and I was excited and nervous to know who this card was from. There was no clue. Whoever sent it had painstakingly cut letters from newspaper headlines to tell me of their undying love and devotion. A mystery.
A few months later my brother broke the spell and told me the card was from him. It was good to know he loved me, if not quite the love I had imagined it might be.
St Valentine’s Day is a day of mixed emotion. I welcome the innovation my two daughters now enjoy called Galentine’s Day. It involves pampering, chocolate, games, movies, all girls together. A celebration of friendship and fun. Sounds good to me.
I think there is another love we so easily overlook - self-love. Self-love can sound selfish, self-absorbed or even arrogant, but I was struck by something a yoga teacher wrote about rest:
“What does it mean to truly rest? For years, I thought I knew. I'd take long breaks after burning out to "rest" and I'd put away my work, binge Netflix, plan the next thing, or go on vacation. But after research about rest and trauma, I realised what I called 'rest' was often just another form of distraction. True rest isn't about escaping or shutting down. It's about creating conditions where your nervous system can fully settle and integrate. This requires understanding that rest is an active process, not a passive one.
“Rest isn't earned, it's a biological necessity. Rest means engaging in activities that require no input. Rest requires feeling safe in our bodies and environment. Rest can happen in two minutes or two hours. Rest is an act of self-love.”
Jesus says, ‘Love your neighbour as yourselves.’ To love our neighbour, first we need to know how to love ourselves. As Christians, we discover how to love ourselves when we learn how to rest in God’s love for us. The Christian love of others comes from our experience of God loving us. Which we know best, when we rest in Him.
Whatever you’re planning around Valentine’s Day, whether with others or on your own, please let your soul catch up with your body as you rest in the loving presence of God. Then, love and peace will flow through you, quite naturally, to those around.