A Letter to You: Celebrate Love in Your Life

Write | Inspire | Dream

We’re going to take a short break from the more intense (but truly amazing) content we’ve been seeing and have a chat about love. Tomorrow is my mom’s birthday. I was going to write a post about my mom and all of the wonderful ways she’s supported, loved, and guided me throughout my life. But I feel that if you’ve been on this journey with me for a while now, you know my mom pretty well. Meaning you know she’s one of the two most important people in my life. So, instead, I thought I’d write a note to you about love and how to celebrate those you cherish. I’ve never written you guys a letter. But I felt this subject appropriate to write to you as if it were the twenties and there were a thousand miles between us. After all, what love story doesn’t involve a letter.

My Dearest Friend,

Throughout my life, there have been remarkable people that have brought me great love and taught me what it means to value life. These people stepped into my life when I needed them most; they came at unexpected moments and in difficult times. They’ve taught me to have grace and compassion, a zest for life and all that it has to offer. But most importantly, they’ve taught me the value of love. Do you have people in your life who have done the same? People that, whether they’re still here or not, have left lasting impressions on your outlook on life? I hope so.

These people deserve to be celebrated. That’s why I’m writing you this letter. In thinking of celebrating my mom’s birthday, I began to look back at all the ways I’ve celebrated my mom. Parties, gifts, cards, hugs, dinners, thank you’s–an endless supply of ways to tell someone you love and appreciate their presence in your life. But it’s not just on birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays that we should celebrate love and someone in our life. I think it’s actually the opposite. It’s on days they don’t expect it or need it that we should celebrate them.

I’ve found that a great part of my Intentional Living journey has been working on building stronger connections in my life. That is a gift. I think it’s things we don’t see that often become “gifts” to people; listening to them when they need to vent; offering advice when they’re feeling lost; celebrating their wins when they can’t see them. Being more intentional in our relationships lets us be more conscious about the effort we’re putting into them and the love and kindness we’re receiving back. Being mindful in our relationships isn’t just a “take” partnership. We have so much to give and offer in all of our relationships.

Does this all make sense?—my stream of consciousness is coming out.

You’re probably thinking, “Ok, but Lauren, what does all of this have to do with ‘celebrating’ someone?” Well, I think sometimes we can lose sight of the importance of someone in our life. And we forget to remind ourselves, or thank them, for all they do for us. A relationship between two people (friends, romantic, family) isn’t just about being there when it’s tough or giving a card on their birthday. In fact, I think every relationship’s core is actually built on the day-to-day interaction. The quality of the conversation, the way you’re in tune with one another.

This, I believe, is how we celebrate our love for someone. We show them we care in our day-to-day. So, if you lack inspiration, here are a few ideas to celebrate your love for someone…

1. Send them a reminder – text, call, or write them. If it’s someone whose physical distance is not close to yours, but you’re looking to protect and nurture the friendship, remind this person of their importance and impact on your life.
2. Listen – We miss a lot of what’s going on in each other’s lives. This can certainly depend on what someones love language is, but I’ve found that people are genuinely touched when you invite them to coffee, dinner, drinks, etc., and show genuine interest in all that’s going on in their life. Ask about the little things and direct your full attention to the discussion. It goes a long way to show someone that you’re not just listening but also interested in their lives.
3. Pay attention to little things – We all get busy, and life can certainly get hectic. But even in the midst of the hustle and bustle, paying attention to someone and what’s going on in their life goes a long way in a relationship. Nothing means more to me when a friend texts me about something going on and lends an ear or a note to say they see what I’m doing.

As I said, it’s the little things…

I hope this letter encourages you to reach out to someone and remind them of their importance in your life. And to all of you, your presence here is incredibly important and meaningful to me. Thank you for showing up and reading La.Rue. This community has grown exponentially in the last few months, and I am so grateful to each and every one of you. I know this piece is a little different from the normal content on the blog. But I’ve been filled with gratitude as I see this community grow.

Oh. And Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you.