National Couple Appreciation Month in April reminds us to keep the flames of romance alive all year long. Don’t wait for a specific holiday to keep the spark in your relationship hot.
Let’s face it; relationships take work. Whether they are romantic ones or not, they take effort. When two people are in the early stages of love, the excitement and the hormones make us overlook all the flaws and potential obstacles the world throws at us. Fast forward to life. When we value the people in our lives, we take the time to do the little things to let them know.
For the significant other in our life, those little things mean so much more. This person is the one we call when we’re going to be late coming home from work. She’s the person we talk to about big decisions. He’s the person who makes your coffee in the morning.
Whether the relationship is becoming long-term or has already endured the long-haul, National Couple Appreciation Month is a time to re-dedicate the little things we do for each other. Little things go a long way to sending the message that we a loved and cared about.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Spend time with your loved one and reconnect.
Little Things
Leave a love note on your mate’s car.
Surprise your love with coffee or tea before they wake.
If your sweetheart is a selfie-loving type and you’re not, give in on occasion and take a couples’ selfie.
Let your significant other overhear you complimenting them. It’s one thing for you to tell them directly, but to know you tell others what you think means so much more.
Invite your love to go on an activity he or she enjoys. It doesn’t need to be expensive. If they are always pestering you to go for a walk or to the library, they will be pleased by the gesture.
Learn something new together. Explore common interests where you both might have an opportunity to learn while spending time together.
Use #NationalCoupleAppreciationMonth to share on social media.
During April, buds come into full bloom brightening our days, and the National Month of Hope also lends a hand in lifting our spirits.
Bringing hope to someone can take many forms. Being a positive role model in a child’s life or providing a community a foundation for future endeavors both provide hope for the future. Lift the spirits of a friend suffering from a medical issue or volunteer at a local homeless shelter. We are each able to bring a ray of hope in our own ways by contributing wisdom, time, kindness, and when possible, donating to charities that make the impossible possible.
NATIONAL MONTH OF HOPE HISTORY
Mothers In Crisis, Inc. founded National Month of Hope to help spread hope around the world. Founded by Rosalind Tompkins in 1991 when she was just four years clean and sober, Mothers In Crisis, Inc. supports women and families who are in need bringing them hope and empowering them to find a new path.
On Mothers In Crisis’s 25th Anniversary in April of 2016, they received proclamations from the City of Tallahassee and the Board of County Commissioners acknowledging the significant contributions Mothers In Crisis has made in their region and also declaring Friday as Hope Universe Day.
Each year on February 17th, National Random Acts of Kindness Day grows in popularity. It is celebrated by individuals, groups and organizations nationwide to encourage acts of kindness.
The movement of Random Acts of Kindness inspires people every day. As a favorite celebration for many, people everywhere are enjoying doing these acts of kindness. Not only do the acts of kindness bring joy to the receiver, but they spread positive reactions to the giver, too!
“I was a recipient of the kindness but more glad to be a contributor!” (Unknown)
Our research found that the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation celebrates Random Acts of Kindness Week. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is an internationally recognized non-profit organization founded upon the powerful belief in kindness and dedicated to providing resources and tools that encourage acts of kindness.
In New Zealand, where this day originated, Random Acts of Kindness Day is celebrated on September 1st. However, it is also recognized by some on other days throughout the year. Nevertheless, doing random acts of kindness is something that can be done every day of the year. In every day lives around the globe.
A Few Quotes of Kindness:
“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” (Mark Twain)
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” (Aesop)
“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” (Scott Adams)
“Kind words and actions can seem so small, but their effects are truly endless.” (Author Unknown)
Make a note to do nice things throughout the day. Are you looking for ideas? We’ve collected a few that will get you started.
Pay for the coffee or meal of the person in front of you in line.
Leave a kind note for someone, no explanation needed.
Share words of encouragement. You never know who might need them.
Put your skills to work for someone in need. For example, offer to create a résumé for someone seeking a new job.
Drop off a load of groceries at the local food pantry.
Mail a “thinking of you” card to someone you’ve not to talk to in a while.
Order a bouquet of flowers to be delivered to anyone in the hospital. That means, call the florist and tell them to pick a hospital or nursing home and deliver flowers to the person the front desk thinks needs it the most. It could be a sick child, an elderly person with no family or college student down on their luck.
Send a thank you note to the local fire department, police departments or any military personnel.
Just smile.
Share your random acts of kindness using #RandomActsOfKindnessDay to post on social media.
Valentine’s Day began as St. Valentine’s Day, a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. February 14th first became associated with romantic love during the High Middle Ages as the tradition of courtly love was then flourishing. During 18th century England, this day evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery and sending Valentine cards.
Ancient History
Mixed opinions prevail regarding who or what was celebrated in mid-February. Some point to martyred saints by the name of Valentine or Valentinus. The most popular story tells of the saint who defied a decree by Emperor Claudius II who outlawed marriage for young men because he believed single men made better soldiers. St. Valentine, preferring young lovers to be wed than have them sneaking around (or believing in the power of love), would marry them in secret. However, it may have been another Valentine who performed the marriages. Either way, at least two of them were beheaded for their actions.
Another possible origin for Valentine’s Day takes us back to a pagan festival called Lupercalia. As a way to discourage participation in the fertility festival, the Christian church placed St. Valentine’s Day in the middle of February.
Modern Celebrations
Since the Renaissance, we’ve been exchanging Valentine’s cards. These handmade missives of romance grew into a more commercial venture by the Victorian era. Today, school children exchange Valentine greetings, too. They prepare for the day by making unique boxes to receive their many hearts, cupids, and pun-filled rhymes.
Chocolates and candy have also become a part of the celebration. While couples tend to be the focus of the day, singles celebrate being single, too. Friends take each other out or reject the overall notion of Valentine’s Day. Dinner and a movie, candlelight, and flowers also fit the bill for couples. It’s one of the busiest days of the year for florists.
Credit is traditionally given to Pope Gelasius for declaring February 14th as Saint Valentine’s Day around the year 496 to separate the church from the Roman celebration of Lupercalia, an ancient pagan fertility festival that occurred on February 15th.
HOW TO OBSERVE #ValentinesDay
You can surprise your special someone with flowers, chocolate or a card. Bring a smile to their face with an original poem or homemade meal. So put on this playlist and enjoy some special time with your special Valentine.
National Compliment Day on January 24th offers a wonderful way to brighten someone’s day or to give credit for a job well done! Give an extra compliment annually on January 24th and any time one is deserved.
A compliment has a powerful effect. It can instill confidence in a child, or validate someone’s hard work. A compliment not only improves the receiver’s mood, but it also says something about the giver. It tells them you noticed. Whether we recognize someone’s achievement or their classic style, a compliment can go a long way.
A compliment costs the giver so little yet can mean so much to the reciever. If you want the world to be a better place strive each day to make someone, even a complete stranger smile. Not only will it make them feel good but you will too.
People touch our lives even if just for a few moments. Make that a happy memory for you both. Even if you never know it you can make someone’s day. I strive to brighten the world even if I only reach one person a day, and you should too.
To give a great compliment, first be sincere. People have a way of knowing when we are fake. If you don’t mean it, it’s worse than getting a thoughtless birthday gift.
Complimenting character versus a new haircut are different rewards. The first says you respect the person and the other tells them you paid attention. Sometimes the receiver needs to hear one or the other, or both.
Human beings like to be unique, original. Strive to give a compliment about what makes a person stand out above the rest. Take the time to reflect on what you admire about the person.
NATIONAL COMPLIMENT DAY HISTORY
Kathy Chamberlin of Hopkinton, NH and Debby Hoffman of Concord, NH created National Compliment Day in 1998.
Make sure to compliment someone. Share the compliments you receive that make your day. Do they improve your day? Make a list of different ways to give a compliment and use #NationalComplimentDay to post on social media.
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