“In other news…tomorrow is Monday and the first weekday of February!”

My sister’s Facebook post at the end of the SuperBowl got me thinking. It sure seems like there’s a lot of crummy going around lately. Illness, cabin fever, unmet New Year’s expectations, people attacking other people, people ignoring people attacking other people, and lots and lots of snow…Not to mention Valentine’s Day – the annual troublesome reminder of the loneliness most people feel. February is the longest shortest month of the year: 28 days to remind us of how alone and crummy and cold we feel.

It seems that everywhere around me people are hurting. And sometimes the hurt turns into rage or deep sadness. It’s all incredibly discouraging. But sometimes a miracle happens. Sometimes people take their pain and turn it into something much more powerful than retaliation. They turn it into love.

This morning a high school friend posted this video. It inspires people to take cyberbullying and turn it on its head. It reminded me of the Coke commercial from the SuperBowl last night about making the internet happy. (Both are worth watching – click on the blue words.) And I thought:

In other news…Today is Monday – the first opportunity of February:

• The month where we take negativity and turn it on its head.  
• The month where we offer kindness when we feel unkind.  
• The month where we forgive instead of holding grudges.
• The month where we offer connection in the midst of our own loneliness. 
• The month where we offer love to warm cold hearts.

Now that I think about it, we started on Friday night when eleven 2^nd grade girls came over to participate in “Kick the Winter Blues Frozen Sing-A-Long Party.” The goal? Relationship-building and letting go in a safe and fun environment where every girl knows she’s loved and no girl feels left out.

 I don’t know if we accomplished the goal – the only real indication I have is the jumping and smiling and singing and not-wanting-to-leaving. A teacher even stopped by to soak in some of the sweetness!

Maybe, just maybe, a few hearts were warmed Friday night. Maybe they’ll pass on a little heat this week at school. Maybe they’ll know where to come in the future when they feel cold.

Work. School. Home. It’s a tough time of year, all around. Instead of complaining about it and hunkering down for a long winter’s nap as I’d like to do, I made a decision. It’s time to take drastic, proactive measures. It’s time to get creative and intentional about offering warmth to my kids, my husband, my family, my friends, teachers, and random strangers. If I’m not proactive, February has the potential to bulldoze me and everyone I care about. I’m just not going to let that happen.

So here’s the deal. I’m going to be tagging photos, links, observations and warm inspiration with #heatwave2015 this month on social media. Would you like to join me? I’m totally nervous that no one will respond! But you know what? I’m gonna lean into that and offer it anyway! Let’s spur one another on toward love and good deeds, shall we? If you have any hot ideas about what people could do, share them below or on social media #heatwave2015. If you are interested in spreading the idea, share this post and explain what it is or what it means to you.

Let’s create a heat wave that warms cold hearts this February!

#heatwave2015

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For more information about my own thawing heart:

Frozen Top Ten

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