Love is in the air
Valentine’s Day should be celebrated all year long
Skip the flowers and go for a couple’s chocolate massage. According to a new Valentine survey by Splender, an online shopping site, experiencing something together gets top V-Day billing from both genders, with chocolate coming in next.
Put the two together and let the sparks fly. My favourite gift was a night at Ste. Anne’s Spa resort, just north of the village of Grafton, Ont. The Romance package delivered two love potions — an exciting experience and chocolate! Besides the chocolate-covered strawberries in your room, the warm chocolate Swedish massage was to die for.
Relationships need to be massaged, nurtured and re-energized. Valentine’s is perfect refocusing so be sure to wrap up the unexpected, something that’ll send dopamine levels up and fuel bonding — like axe throwing lessons!
Bad Axe Throwing is, yes, about learning to throw an axe properly. The Canadian company is promoting a unique Valentine’s Day gift idea — whether you’re paired up or single, ignite some happy hormones — host a Singles’ Valentine’s Day party. “We’ve even had people bring in pictures of their exes to stick to the targets!” says Melanie St-Amour, of badaxethrowing.com.
No hatchet job this Valentine’s Day. For the most part romance rules and love is in the air — actually 70 per cent of Canadian singles believe that Valentine’s Day is a romantic holiday, reports
Match.com.
Forgetting or just not bothering to celebrate the holiday at all leaves an indelible mark on the relationship — and not a good one. It’s a barometer of what’s to come, says relationship therapist Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil. “We’re a society that loves to fall in love and to be in love, and celebrating Feb. 14 with your sweetie, accompanied by an appropriate token of affection, is a must.” No need for anything big.
The more romantic you are, the more endorphins go up and this creates a connection. It’s the rituals and romantic gestures that create memories and bonds, adds Eaker Weil, of doctorbonnie.com.
Talk is cheap — now show you care. Send those endorphins rushing. With only a few days to go, make your move — here are a few ideas that are sure to bedazzle your sweetie.
Women outspend men
Canadian women are spending over double the amount on Valentine’s Day than men are, according to a new survey by retailmenot.ca. Women are shelling out $235, while
men are spending $116.
The average Canadian plans to spend $162 come Feb. 14, inclusive of gifts, meals and the overall experience, up from $119 in 2016.
The substantial spending difference between the genders reflects men not buying high-price items — only four per cent of men are opting for jewelry this year and a mere five per cent of men have plans to purchase tickets to a show/event. Instead, men are opting for flowers, 27 per cent, and chocolate, 22 per cent.
This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. In recognition of this fact, the Vatican has issued a document entitled: From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017. Its focus is on what unites rather than divides, “Today we are able to tell the story of the Lutheran Reformation together. Even though Lutherans and Catholics have different points of view, because of ecumenical dialogue they are able to overcome traditional anti-Protestant and anti-Catholic hermeneutics in order to find a common way of remembering past events” (35). History shows us that these conciliatory sentiments were not always the case among Christians.
St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) served as the Bishop of Geneva during the early years of the Reformation. He was noted as a great preacher and spiritual guide. This was a time of great acrimony and division within his diocese. He approached this sad reality with great love and patience. He worked very hard to restore unity by his preaching, writings, personal holiness, and acts of kindness. Francis believed that everyone, no matter what their occupation or state in life, was called to live a devout and spiritual life. At that time most lay people believed that only monks and hermits were called to be holy. His two most familiar works, Introduction to the Devout Life and The Love of God helped people to develop a spirituality that enabled them to be active contemplatives in a busy world. These two books have been helpful to Christians of many different denominations.
St. Francis often quoted a simple saying, “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a hundred barrels of vinegar”. He tried to live this out in his own life by being gentle with others. This quality is not something that came naturally to the saint as he said it took him 20 years to overcome his temper. With God’s grace he was able to change. He also said that we should “have patience with all things, but, first with yourself.” Francis also believed that we should be as gentle and forgiving with ourselves as we should with others. His Christ-like attitude helped to bring healing, hope and unity to his diocese.
Above all, Francis de Sales believed in the unconditional love of God. God’s love for us and our love for God should be our spiritual foundation. If we trust in love, then we should not worry about things and this will bring greater peace. The following prayer, which St. Francis de Sales composed, expresses this attitude so well: “Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; rather look to them with full hope that, as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you lovingly in His arms. Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same understanding Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day. He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.”
As we look at the divisions that exist in our world, we can look to this saint as an example of what can be done to help promote unity. What we need is more honey than vinegar. If we are drawn to the sweetness of God’s love, then we will overcome division and bring greater peace to our lives and to the world.