Sammy’s First Valentine’s Day

As you know, Sammy doesn’t care. Not because he doesn’t want to but he just doesn’t get it yet. He can’t even wipe his own butt so what can you expect? All that aside, my hope, our hope, is to teach this little dude that Holidays are great for what they represent but if you only do something special with your significant other on Valentine’s Day every year, you have some serious issues.

In my mind, the feelings that we get when different Holidays come around should somehow be maintained year round. For example, I love Christmas time…not because of anything other than the cozy feeling of friends, family, food, wine, and making memories; but why don’t we try to have that sense all year round versus just a couple of weeks at the end of each year?

It seems we allow ourselves to live life in folders…to get stuck in ruts and routines. Happiness can’t exist at work, the Christmas feeling is only at Christmas time, we wake up at a designated time to do designated tasks, we eat dinner at the same time each evening, we drive the same route to work each morning and home each night, we hate Mondays because it symbolizes going back to that dreaded job, Halloween is the only time we dress up, and Valentine’s Day is when we take our wife out to a nice dinner and most likely buy the stereotypical red roses.

I’m not saying each of us is guilty of the each of the above things but you get the point. I say this because one of my hopes is that we can teach Sammy not to live in those folders or boxes. I know some people will say that routines are good but I will have to agree to disagree. I think some routines are unavoidable due to certain circumstances but routines keep us inside the fence and part of the herd. Routines are safe and they keep us from the unknown. One thing I have realized over the last seven or eight years is that routines are the enemy of living.

Routines (otherwise known as ruts) keep us from going on that vacation to Italy that we’ve always wanted to go on. Routines force us to wait for retirement to enjoy life. Routines mean we can live life on auto pilot. Routines keep us safe and secure inside the corral.

The way we view Holidays, work, family life, and everyday living comes down to routines, ruts, and labeled little folders that we live inside of. Why not disrupt that? Any of it? Some of it? All of it?

Disruption forces us to wake up from that auto pilot routine. Disruption forces us to use our brains again. Disruption forces us to be alive and awake in the moment while ruts and routines lull us to sleep. Honestly, it’s as simple as changing the route you drive to work or buying a different brand of chips. It’s as simple as bringing roses to your spouse on May 12 versus February 14. It’s as easy as turning the TV off tonight and reading a book instead. Disrupt your schedule and feel how different and potentially alive it feels. It’s pretty awesome and I crave it.

So…Sammy, one day you will read this and hopefully we will have done our jobs. My hope for you is that you try to be alive and awake for every moment you possibly can. This life is short and to live any part of it inside boxes, folders, ruts, routines, boundaries, or anything else will shorten it even more. To be in every moment gives you more time. To be awake at the wheel rather than on auto pilot, will allow you to live a richer life. To be present and happy comes from avoiding the ruts…you will fail at times but the goal is to always be aware and get back on the horse. Good luck little dude, I love you. Oh…and Happy Valentine’s Day!!