So, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. With three kids ranging in age from three to 13 and not a babysitter in sight, my Valentine’s Day means Taco Night and silly movies that will appeal to a teen and a toddler. Plus we’re making pink sugar cookies. Not exactly the most romantic plans, but I’ve never been a huge fan of this holiday that commercializes the most important and miraculous human emotion, love. I always felt pressured to feel something and do something to prove how much I loved my boo on this one day and usually ended up feeling like a pile of warm dog poo because nothing measured up to the commercials and Hallmark cards. So, at least making Valentine’s Day fun for the kids is a welcome respite from my feelings of Valentine’s Day failure.
But then I saw this story, promoted by PRI’s #WomensLives campaign. The story was actually recorded in December 2014, but it couldn’t be more timely as we prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The piece is about journalist Yalda Hakim‘s documentary about the women in Pakistan who dare to defy tradition and the law and fall in love with someone other than their “assigned” mate. Jail and death by stoning are both popular punishments for this defiant act. From the PRI site: “Hakim says reporting the story made her realize women in Pakistan don’t have what should be a basic human right: The right to love whom they choose.”
So, after learning about the plight of Pakistan’s women, I reconsidered my own situation. After being with el esposo for more than 20 years, it’s probably reasonable not to feel all Hallmark happy every time he walks in the door. What I can feel extremely happy about however, is that he is still the man I would choose if I had to do it all over again. Now that is something to celebrate. And the situation in Pakistan is something we should all fight against. Take a listen to the story. And then let me know, what will you do to celebrate Valentine’s Day, if anything at all?
Peace!
