"I'm feeling a little down, Valentines Day is approaching and I've no special person in my life,"a recently divorced 40 year old woman typed to me. " Maybe it's the girl in me," she continued. We'd randomly encountered one another on a website a few weeks beforehand. She'd told me details about her life to which I'm certain her closest friends and family lacked knowledge. According to her, she'd had a hellish marriage of 23 years duration. Yet her spouse had favored her with candy and flowers on occasion of Valentines Day. Today she was feeling melancholy.
My mind drifted back to several years ago, to a conversation I had had with a lady on AOL. I had met her in a local chatroom, she had recently moved here with her husband and family. We shared a love for sports and humor, so we'd often "loft"( people in chatrooms talking in private/instant message). She began to attend offline functions, room dinners and parties. To this day, she may be the most grounded person I've ever met from cyberspace. One year as Valentines Day approached, I recall asking her if the hubby and herself were doing anything for it. "I'm not a Hallmark girl, John, I insist on being treated well each day of the year, a calendar should not be a catalyst for special treatment." She explained they would go on "dates" and strive to keep their relationship strong.
My thoughts returned to my 40 year old chat partner. I reminded her how well she was doing, of how though she had never worked outside the home, she'd already received a promotion and was a department head in the retail business that employed her. I pointed out other positive aspects and of how she was making great strides both personally and professionally. Our conversation ended, she had to get ready for work, she gave me the virtual equivalent of a "hug" and was on her way.
It's human nature to get a little down at times, particularly around holidays. We humans also tend to fixate on our problems instead of giving ourselves credit for our accomplishments. We all enjoy feeling special, woudn't it be great if we could attain that feeling 365 days a year? Peace to all....John :-)
My mind drifted back to several years ago, to a conversation I had had with a lady on AOL. I had met her in a local chatroom, she had recently moved here with her husband and family. We shared a love for sports and humor, so we'd often "loft"( people in chatrooms talking in private/instant message). She began to attend offline functions, room dinners and parties. To this day, she may be the most grounded person I've ever met from cyberspace. One year as Valentines Day approached, I recall asking her if the hubby and herself were doing anything for it. "I'm not a Hallmark girl, John, I insist on being treated well each day of the year, a calendar should not be a catalyst for special treatment." She explained they would go on "dates" and strive to keep their relationship strong.
My thoughts returned to my 40 year old chat partner. I reminded her how well she was doing, of how though she had never worked outside the home, she'd already received a promotion and was a department head in the retail business that employed her. I pointed out other positive aspects and of how she was making great strides both personally and professionally. Our conversation ended, she had to get ready for work, she gave me the virtual equivalent of a "hug" and was on her way.
It's human nature to get a little down at times, particularly around holidays. We humans also tend to fixate on our problems instead of giving ourselves credit for our accomplishments. We all enjoy feeling special, woudn't it be great if we could attain that feeling 365 days a year? Peace to all....John :-)
Exceptional insight as always, John. Happy Valentine's Day and thanks for cheering me up. Some day I'll explain why.
ReplyDelete