It is Valentine’s Day. The world is coloured pink and red, and people are celebrating their love everywhere with flowers and chocolates and heartfelt cards.
Now I love flowers, cards and chocolate as much as the next girl, but I have been wondering, is this what love looks like?
Recently, I went to a photo shoot for a women’s blog that I write for. It was scheduled for a holiday morning, so we could all attend. I took my girls, there was cake and tea, and there were flowers and a beautiful feminine environment.
But for all of us that were there, there was also the unseen husband helping in less obvious ways. My Mr came and kept my girls occupied while I was having photos taken. Another Mr took his kids off to the park to release his wife for this event. Another had helped establish the environment, welcoming us into his home. Another was giving his time and skills in taking the photos.
All of those families sacrificed the morning of precious holiday day together to support and encourage the women of the families. There was a real sense at that photo shoot not just of the women encouraging each other, and modelling that to our girls. But also our menfolk were in their many different ways encouraging us, and demonstrating to our daughters what a healthy partnership looks like.
All these husbands, partners, and fathers were faithfully serving is so many little (but very big ways) and by doing so encouraging and releasing their women in the gifts and skills they have.
So listen I won’t say no to the flowers on Valentines Day, (or any day really … hint, hint Mr!) But I do think that love is demonstrated in so many more ways than that.
Jodie