Hey February, I think I love you

T.S. Eliot (or as my friend John called him in college, “the T-ster”) said April is the cruelest month, but sometimes as a single person I think February better fits that distinction. We’re bombarded with Valentine’s Day as soon as the clock chimes midnight on Christmas Day (and sometimes even earlier!) and so much importance is placed on that day by the retail establishments that it can be demoralizing. It doesn’t particularly affect me anymore because the older I get the less I give a flyin’ flip about a lot of things, this being one of them.  Valentine’s Day? That’s kind of a gimme for romance, but as Blanche Devereaux once said, “Get lucky on a Tuesday morning, then call me”. 

I actually like the month of February. A lot. To me, it’s not a winter month so much as a not-quite-spring month. It always seems so hopeful, with all the bright reds and pinks and happy smiling hearts that Hallmark throws at us (and I’m all about discounted candy on the 15^th…I may have a serious candy issue…). There’s always a post-holiday let down that comes in January, but then February arrives and it feels like we turn a corner.

For some it’ll be Mardi Gras celebrations and for others it’s the arrival of the Lenten season and what that means to them.  I grew up in a Baptist church and became a Presbyterian as an adult (and currently have been regularly visiting a Lutheran church, so denominational confusion is part of my life it seems) and I don’t always give up something for Lent since it wasn’t a part of my traditions growing up. Some years I choose to incorporate something positive into my life, rather than eliminate something that seems negative. I’m still deciding on what I’m going to do during Lent this year. Adding in a dedicated prayer and quiet time with God really should be at the top of my list because I have gone woefully astray from that in the past year. I have never enjoyed reading the Bible, so I should probably work on incorporating that into my 40 days as well, but we’ll see. Those would certainly be positive steps to take in my life. Right now it’s leaning toward giving up brownies and cake because sometimes I think my life is made up of going to work and then finding a way to eat baked goods every day. I’m still not sure how I’ve maintained a weight loss with what I frequently consume on any given day. I’ll probably wake up tomorrow 10 pounds heavier and be surprised that it happened.

The bigger picture of February for me, however, is that I often make life changes or have interesting new experiences during this month. I’m not sure how it happened, but now I eye each February 1^st with a question of “What will happen this year?” Sometimes it’s nothing, but other times, well, it’s sure been something.

One year I moved halfway around the world, jumping at an opportunity I was more afraid to let pass me by than I was to say yes to. It didn’t turn out the way I’d planned, but I wouldn’t change that decision for anything.  Two years after that, I was accepting a new job in the middle of February and getting ready to make another move, but this time it was back to my home town and to be closer to family. Another good decision made that I can’t regret…even when 6 years later I started February being laid off from that same job. Ultimately that turned out to be the best thing for me, but it did make February 2009 a bit scarier than the others.

In February 2003 and February 2006 I had some seriously fun Bon Jovi concert experiences and anyone who knows me knows how much I love those boys and that band.  Having the rock star of my dreams, David Bryan, acknowledge my existence on the planet was so much fun. Having my father with me at the show – my Bon Jovi concert going buddy since I was 14 – was even better. We have some great memories of those shows over the decades.

February 2007 probably brought my favorite February experience though as that’s when I got to travel to Australia for 5 weeks. Australia had been a dream of mine since high school and one I never thought I could achieve, but thanks to the Rotary Foundation’s Group Study Exchange program I was able to not only visit, but meet so many wonderful people and spend 5 weeks all over Western Australia, seeing and doing so very much. It’s hard to believe it’s been 9 years now since that trip. Time does fly.

This year February may not bring much of anything new or different or exciting into my life. I won’t be able to say for sure until March 1^st. So far it’s got some interesting prospects laid out before me and as I’m in the midst of my “Year of Yes” challenge to myself to be open to more experiences, for all I know, February 2016 might be the most amazing one yet. All I know for sure is that I’m looking forward to finding out.