It will soon be Valentine’s Day, but I’m not going to talk about chocolates, overpriced dinners or bottles of champagne. (Though if anyone who loves me is reading this, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you how fond I am of facials and massages!!) As hard as this is for me, I am going to talk about love. At first I thought, what in the world can I say about love that hasn’t already been said? And then it struck me how much my world has been transformed by love (and to some extent, the lack thereof) over the past year. First, I lost my job. Yes, that hurt. My “lover” – corporate America -- had rejected me and I could not imagine a future without the career I had worked so hard to build over so many years. Now I will not lie: This past year was a hard one, but I have learned a lot about love. The people who love me have rallied around me and helped me find my way. I have been blessed with the love of my family (including my father whose words are with me every day though he is not); friends old and new; and one nutty dog. They have made me laugh (thank you most of all to my nephew, Jesse) and they have patiently listened to me when I was optimistic, and when I was pessimistic, over and over and over again. They have given me gifts of the things I have always loved (thank you, mom), gifts of things I never knew I would love (thank you to my yoga teachers) and the most wonderful gift of all (that I had hoped to get from President Obama), the gift of health insurance from the man I have made crazy for ever so many years.
In my family, we sometimes write a simple poem to commemorate special occasions (another gift from my mother who started this tradition). So let me just say: Roses are red, violets are blue. To those who have given so much to me, know that I do love you.
No, I still don’t have a new job, but I do have a new appreciation for how very loved I am.
Kind (self) regards,
Vicki
Vicki Wray lives in North Stamford, and until recently spent most of her waking hours in New York City as a corporate communications executive. Working for companies like Pfizer, Revlon and AOL Time Warner has allowed her to meet wonderful colleagues and a slew of interesting personalities including the president of the United States, supermodels and star athletes, famous artists and a Justice of the Supreme Court. She is a natural observer, type A personality, and a life-long "spa junkie". Vicki firmly believes in the health benefits of being kind to oneself; taking a moment to breath, relax and finding simple joy in our every day existence.
Her column, Kind (self) Regards, will be a regular feature of the Aetheria Spa blog. If you enjoy her point of view, or would like to share your ideas, please contact her at vicki@aetheriaspa.com.
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