mission monday:: love love love love

"open up your eyes and see like me, open up your plans and damn your free, look into your heart and you'll find love love love love"-jason mraz

First, I just wanted to say a very humble and grateful thank you to everyone that commented on Murphy's passing and offered support and comfort. Jason and I are still a little raw about the whole deal so while I don't have it in me to thank each of you individually, please know your thoughts are so welcomed and appreciated.

I thought about just postponeing mission monday for a week because, truthfully, I'm in a pretty melancoly place but then I realized that's life. Being a joy rebel isn't about being happy all the time, it's about being authentic. And if I don't share the sad or angry or confused or hurt parts of me just as much as I share the happy and joyful, well then in my opinion, I'm not doing this right.

In light of that, this mission is dedicated to Murphy.

Onward.

I don't like valentines day. I think it's a holiday made up by retailers to get you to buy crap. And I REALLY dislike the underlying message in the 1.5 million advertisements we'll see between now and 2/14; that unless you are with someone and they spend ridiculous amounts of money on gifts, you aren't loved.

So for my husband and I, february 14th passes like any other day, usually. But last year, he told me that he had gotten me an 'anti-valentines day' gift that would arrive on valentines day. To which I replied that an 'anti-valentines day' gift that arrives on valentines day isn't really an 'anti' gift. But whatever.

What arrived was a book filled with letters from celebrities to the people of new orleans that had been affected by katrina. All proceeds from the book went to the red cross. And then he tells me (and this is reason # 1487 why I married him) that from now on, he'd like for us to focus on love for our greater community on valentines day.

*swoon*

So we are looking up opportunities to put a little love into our community and his gesture, which I can already feel growing, has inspired this mission.

Even if you prefer the traditional ways of celebrating the day, I think there is always room for more love. So your mission this week, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with ways you can spread a little love in your community. Maybe it's taking valentines day to volunteer at a food bank or shelter. Maybe it's picking up trash on the side of the road. Maybe it's making paper hearts and sending them to the local nursing home or your friends or your neighbors.

Please share your ideas!!! A bonus mission for those of us that like to use our cameras: take photos of the hearts you see out and about and add them to the mission mondays flickr group

Happy missioning joy rebels!