For the most part, I keep Sparkle and Shine about fashion, makeup, celebs, and other lifestyle topics. However, my recent vlogging obsession made me decide to share something a little bit more personal today.
So here we go…
#TBT to February 14th when timelines across the country were filled with romantic posts about lovey dovey relationships. Though single, I still smiled (with my pint of Ben&Jerry’s in hand during a Res Life duty shift, of course) at the posts. Good for these people to be happy. Everyone deserves happiness.
Then, my eyes start to stumble across another trend – people complaining about “single awareness day” and how they had no one. Woe as me pity party type of posts that were more meant to be shared over a bottle of wine with your gal pals than broadcasted on social media.
I’ve always ranked Valentine’s Day with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in the holiday category, a special day to celebrate the ones you love everyday. It’s like a love ice cream sundae and the holiday is the just maraschino cherry on top.
But on Father’s Day, social media posts will be flooded with Instagram pictures and tweets about why each person has the best dad out there and how they’re lucky to spend the day with them.
So now, take this back to the Valentine’s Day post – do you know how horrible it is to see someone complaining about how they have no one to spend that day with, which will ultimately change, when I spend a similar day honoring the day with someone I no longer have and won’t get back?
To put it bluntly, it’s pretty sucky.
But, you don’t see me complaining and won’t see me complaining. You also won’t be seeing anyone who lost their father on Father’s Day or mother on Mother’s day complaining. You won’t see anyone who is being raised by a single parent, or a foster parent, complaining.
So why do I compare the two? I take my negative with a grain of salt knowing that there is happiness in the salt.
On Valentine’s Day, the only boy(s) I cuddled was Ben&Jerry (moose tracks flavored, of course). But I knew that one day, that won’t be the case. That I will be spending my February 14 with a boy one day who makes me smile and will make me feel like I put the stars in the sky. So in the end, it’ll be worth it.
On Father’s Day, I may shed a tear. But more importantly, I’ll have a smile on my face. This daddy’s little princess had enough memories packed into 16 years to help me get through my lifetime. I look on the positive side and know that I would rather have that then 60 years of no memories, no laughter, and no positives.
Remember, sometimes the grain of salt is necessary in life. I mean, you can’t take a tequila shot without the salt.
This isn’t my way of having a pity party by any means, this is just my way of pointing out that we need to be mindful of what we say and what we do. Cherish your loved ones and always be thankful for the memories and who you have in your life.
First, i’m very sorry for the loss of your father. Second on a much lighter note, I love that you particularly chose moose tracks ice cream! I wrote a kind of similar post about mother’s day, albeint a bit in reverse. I do not, because of medical reasons, have children, and because of those reasons never will. This makes watching all of my friends posting pics of their kids and saying how lucky they are to be mothers and how it’s the best thing that ever happened to them, quite difficult. I have several good friends who have lost a parent in the past few years, and know they feel the same way about mothers/fathers day as you wrote above. So while I love that everyone, including me, celebrates their mothers and fathers (or being mothers and fathers), I hope that people can be a bit mindful in what they say, especially around those who feel a loss – really on every day, but particularly these days, when it’s so easy to get carried away and forget.
Love you, Sami. Cancer is such a bitch. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you, but I know I was lucky to meet you when I did! You’re positive, bubbly, inviting, and you genuinely care about people. And I’m sure you got some of that from your dad. You always inspire me, and your story reminds me to hold tightly to the good things in my life…in all of our lives. STAY STRONG and do your daddy proud! <3333
xo,
Melissa | These words are my own.
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