There’s more to Valentine’s Day than hearts and flowers.
Today is Valentine’s Day. Since I have a fourteen year old without a boyfriend, I’m keenly aware that it’s the world’s most romantic day in high school and she is single. (Her daddy is thrilled). Keep in mind, most of her friends are single too. In fact, four of her closest friends have planned a “Lonely Hearts Sleepover” at my house this evening.
I don’t know why there seems to be much less dating in high school these days. I place part of the blame on our friends at Disney. Their whole lives, these girls have had Ariel and Belle and Prince Charming. Let’s face it, Prince Charming is difficult to find as an adult, but in high school he’s awfully close to nonexistent. That, along with the fact that texting has completely replaced talking and boys and girls don’t know how to talk to each other anymore, in my mind, has created the perfect storm of non-dating, unrealistic expectations along with no communication.
Whatever the reasons, I am hosting five, delightful, single girls this evening. They have each agreed among themselves to bring chocolate, sour treats, salty snacks etc… They are each bringing a movie to watch and will likely stay up most of the night talking and laughing.
I wish I could make my daughter understand the importance of these evenings. She and her friends have forged together a little community that started back in middle school. Boys will come and go, but these friendships have the potential to be lifelong.
Some of my closest friendships were built in high school. Just a few months ago, I got together with some of these girls and talked about old times like they were yesterday. We laughed like the girls who will sleep in my basement tonight.
An internet search for the word love in the Bible turned up 551 times in the NIV version. There are so many different kinds of love. Romantic love is just one kind and the one that gets all of the press on Valentine’s Day. But, the love present in community is a beautiful thing on its own.
My daughter is too young yet to understand the life-sustaining support that community can offer. Friendship is one of God’s most beautiful gifts. Tonight, she will be making memories that she will probably be laughing about twenty years from now, even if she doesn’t know it at the moment.
She has a ton of Valentine’s Days ahead of her, but these high school years are short and friendships are special. So, we will order pizza, close the basement door and let the giggling begin. I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day and celebrate it in a way significant to you.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂