There are two significant dates coming up this week:
• Tuesday, February 13th is Wear orange day, in honor of “Respect Week” during February’s designated Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
Anything orange-colored will do—t-shirts, shoes, hats- –and the brighter, the better! The idea is to attract the eye. (to learn more, visit www.loveisrespect.org where you will also find a “2018 respect Week Guide”)
• February 14th is doubly significant this year: It is Ash Wednesday and kicks off the season of Lent, a time for prayer, fasting and penance.
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
It is also Valentine’s Day, traditionally a celebration of romantic love, but a good chance to take stock of all loving relationships and see where you can improve.
This week offers several opportunities for self-reflection and to make a change in your life. No one deserves to be abused, and if you have manipulated or abused someone in the past, it’s never too late to say “I’m sorry” and begin to make amends.
Ask for forgiveness. Get help.
Treating another as an object rather than as a person is never okay. Using others is never okay.