Share the love for Valentine’s Day
Throughout the past decade I’ve had the pleasure of seeing how much you care, and what so many of our readers do to make a difference for people and planet. Many are included in People Making Ripples special columns, but in the Making Ripples column history, there’s never been a Valentine’s Day column just to say thank you for reading. So this year, I thought we’d do something a little different and invite you to share! What are you doing to sustainably celebrate Valentine’s Day with friends, family or partners?
Perhaps you spread the love through your farm or business. Maybe you have a family of vegans or a family that loves supporting local restaurants with great food (if so, give them a shout-out!). Do you upcycle items into new gifts? What was the greatest gift or experience you ever received? Maybe you enjoy gifting experiences as a way to reduce waste in the landfill; if so, what did you give your significant other? If you have a pack of friends who always get together for Valentine’s Day, how do you do it sustainably? Maybe you carpool or bike with friends to your destination. Or swap your favorite cards from previous years as a way to share memories and laughs. Have you found a way to give roses, flowers or boxes of chocolates that are ethically produced or sustainably sourced?
Some people say every day is Valentine’s Day, and others never celebrate it, but they try to make sure they act lovingly to those around them and respect our environment. Others have simple traditions of being together on Valentine’s Day — not consuming, but just loving. What is your favorite memory of that time?
Many past February columns offered tutorials on how to make homemade vegan chocolates in shaped ice cube trays, how to shop for fair trade goodies, provided sustainable spring date ideas, gave instructions for making recycled toilet paper roll gift boxes, and discussed some of the science behind animal “couples” in nature. We’ve busted some myths about monogamy and menstruation. We’ve sampled all sorts of fair trade or vegan or organic sweets and compared various brands — and there are still new ones to try! I have learned so much of this from you, and appreciate you caring enough to read Making Ripples and live life with integrity.
What are you doing this year for Valentine’s Day (or throughout the year) to celebrate love and that special someone without harming other “someones”? E-mail your answer to MakeSomeRipples@gmail.com. Reader submissions will be posted to the Ripples Facebook page where everyone can be inspired and learn from each other. You can type and post them there yourself at www.Facebook.com/RipplesBlog. As always, it’s a pleasure to have a kind audience and wise teachers here! Thank you for reading.
Amanda Bancroft is a writer, artist, and naturalist living in an off-grid tiny house on Kessler Mountain. She and her husband Ryan blog about their adventures and offer tips to those wanting to make a difference at www.RipplesBlog.org.
