Turn Valentine’s Love into All-month Kindness

February has long been known as the month of love, yet we really only celebrate our ‘Valentines’ on the 14th. This year, why don’t we take the full 28 days of February to spread a little more love, compassion and kindness?

“Let’s use the idea of Valentine’s Day to do a random act of kindness on each day of the month,” says Canadian lifestyle expert Janette Ewen. We might do things like:

• Send someone a hand written note of thanks.

• Put change in the charity box at a cash register.

• Give a compliment about someone to his or her boss.

• Allow another person to jump ahead of us in a line up.

• Leave a bigger tip than expected.

• Hold the elevator for a stranger.

• Smile and say hello to passers-by on the sidewalk.

• Pay for someone else’s coffee in the drive thru.

“One good deed begets another,” Ewen continues. “The positive feeling you get from doing something nice for someone else will stay with you all day.

“And don’t forget to treat yourself to an act of kindness this month,” adds Ewen. “And I say do it with jewelry. Have you seen, for example, Pandora’s new Valentine’s Day jewelry collection, which includes a sterling silver bracelet, ring and necklace with the word Love spelled out in sparkling crystal script?”

She adds that the hand-finished jewelry pieces make a great gift (Pandora.net), but also serve as a good reminder that one act of love can lead to another, and then another. Each one helping to spread the meaning of ‘Be my Valentine’ a little further.

www.newscanada.com