Valentine’s Day

Those deserving the Purple Heart 💜

(Almost a repost!) One more Valentine’s Day coming up with continued quarantines, economic destruction, the importance of “bubbles” to keep safe, people being afraid 😱 of their neighbor — “have they done a rapid test?”, “What if they’re positive?” Thankful for the latest trends to possibly ”end” the pandemic.
We still want the chocolate and the 🧁 heart-shaped fruit 🍎

Catching your breath under the 3 layer mask, lack of oxygen likely affecting our brain, for the “nth” time a trip to the supermarket. No wonder schools are staging protests in the US to end face masks 😷 for kids (see WA story) … in most places in the US with spacious homes, cars, streets and sidewalks this makes sense but what of overcrowding and smaller countries like in the EU? Think bus 🚎 tram 🚈, taxi 🚖!

One bakery (Veneti) in Attica, Greece, has a great Valentine’s bread 🍞 idea in the shape of a heart. St. Valentine was Roman Catholic of Italian decent — his relics are dispersed and displayed around the world (Rome, Italy 🇮🇹 and Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪) for those “seeking” love 💗 with one relic buried on the island of Lesvos (Lesbos) Greece 🇬🇷.

The Purple Heart 💜 is a U.S. military decoration given to those courageous wounded soldiers, or those killed in battle. Today, we dedicate thanks 🙏 to those workers who help us daily, who put up with customer rudeness, stock the shelves and risk their own health are exhausted and stressed, ‘forgotten key workers‘ — working in supermarkets, factories, pharmacies, flower shops, street cleaners, garbage collectors, to name a few …. so many songs that could be dedicated here.

Today it’s Sting “The Shape of My Heart” 💗❤️And a recent graffiti featuring a healthcare staff woman with a white rose of ”gratitude” painted outside a hospital in Piraeus, Greece …absolutely!

Tzaneion hospital artistic graffiti of gratitude
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They deserve the Purple Heart 💜 today

Valentine’s Day 2021 quarantines, lockdowns, economic destruction, the importance of “bubbles” to keep safe, people being afraid 😱 of their neighbor — “have they done a rapid test?”, “What if they’re positive?” We “run” to the florist as it’s one of the few open businesses (thankfully) to buy a flower 🌹 or a stuffed animal …this year those “eyes” got me 💕 as well as that nice morning surprise of cake 🧁 heart-shaped fruit 🍎

Catching your breath under the 3 layer mask, lack of oxygen likely affecting our brain, for the “nth” time a trip to the supermarket. This time, to buy extra rice and mushrooms for the risotto, a bit of chocolate 🍫 for the marketed occasion, supplies for a celebratory glass of red wine 🍷 for those flavonoids — good for the adult heart. Speaking of which ….this year one bakery (Veneti) had a great Valentine’s bread 🍞 idea in the shape of a heart. St. Valentine was Roman Catholic of Italian decent — his relics are dispersed and displayed around the world (Rome, Italy 🇮🇹 and Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪) for those “seeking” love 💗 with one relic buried on the island of Lesvos (Lesbos) Greece 🇬🇷. This island has been in the news quite a bit these last years due to the Mediterranean migration crisis with local populations opening their hearts but also suffering immense pressure and economic disasters of their own. “Let them have bread” might be a phrase that comes to mind here.

  • Veneti ‘heart’ bread

The Purple Heart 💜 is a U.S. military decoration given to those courageous wounded soldiers, or those killed in battle. Today, we dedicate thanks 🙏 to those workers who help us daily, who put up with customer rudeness, stock the shelves and risk their own health are exhausted and stressed, ‘forgotten key workers‘ — working in supermarkets, factories, pharmacies, flower shops, street cleaners, garbage collectors, to name a few …. so many songs that could be dedicated here. Today it’s Sting “The Shape of My Heart” 💗❤️

Be the change…the message of love and unity

The “morning after” Valentine’s Day I came across short video cartoon part of a series meant to help people understand about relationships a series by Fabiosa Better World. This featured a woman who felt disgruntled in her 10 year marriage, and no longer smiled at her husband, didn’t make his favorite food, was basically indifferent  and thus he was ready to divorce or I’m sure look elsewhere. He called his elder father who basically gave him basic advice — have you kept your end of the “bargain” have you kept your promises? He thought about it. He changed his behavior. This included having a “date night”, buying her a gift, helping with the house chores. Surprisingly to him, everything he used to have came back and his marriage made it successfully…simple things make the difference, BE the change in love  (by the way the 8-10 year mark is important because you either “make” it or “break” it as a couple, according to statistics).

I also participated in a training by organization Fractality on “appreciative inquiry”, who had invited an elder wise guest speaker a “yogi” in my mind, to work with mindfulness in our group on finding the goodness and inner peace in very difficult situations whether they be individuals or communities. We randomly got cards and my two are featured here reminds me of the important health literacy work in our community. BE the change in your community. Use your networks, get training to build skills, work with goodness and peace of mind.

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Valentine Health Messages

One of my favorite romance movies is Chocolat, not only because of all-star actors like Depp, Binoche and Dench, but the priceless moment is when the town’s Mayor gorges himself full of chocolate which his overly Catholic moral self would not allow, and gets caught…  Dark chocolate in particular has always had medicinal properties, a surprising antioxidant super food according to Paleohacks!   Anyone who savors chocolate everything would appreciate being invited to a chocolate-tea party or in the spirit of the season an “anti-Valentine’s party,” but really why not focus on positivity of social support rather than the lonely hearts club?

Another great romance and true-to-life story of Elizabeth Gilbert in her book and later Hollywood movie Eat, Pray, Love speaks true of overcoming one’s fear of healthy relationships (commitment phobics you need to work on it!), enjoying the moment with terrific food, praying (cultivating spirituality and mindfulness), and of course having an openness to love. Perhaps fun messages on candy (or cinnamon hearts, one of my favorites), cool cards, heart shaped chocolate boxes, an overrated pressure of getting it ‘right’ on Valentine’s day… leaves a lot to be desired. Having a truly healthy mind, healthy body, healthy spirit, are true achievements of an overall healthy life including building and maintaining health literacy.  Gilbert got it, Snoopy got it, do we all get it?

Do you love the names “Valentina” or “Valentino” (female and male versions) perhaps because they are polysyllabic, or that they conjure up visions of kissing the silent movie actor, Rudolph Valentino, near an Italian stream as in the dream of the mid 80’s band The Bangles?  Then there is the truth of the ever-popular 3rd century Saint Valentine, becoming popular among many cultures around the world, supporting the practice of marrying lovers despite the decree of the then Catholic Church, and ultimately for his practices being beheaded in punishment. A gruesome reality of those times.

Happily we went to a cafe-restaurant (Dtale cafe) that maintains a smoke-free environment, which in this part of the world is always a positive and needed to prevent second-hand or passive smoking. In addition to their fabulous dishes, coffee and desserts, they have a great addition of objects with fun messages…. regardless of what you do this V-day, enjoy the food and your company, you deserve it!