February: The Season of Hearts

Barbara H Scott, Executive Director

As the shortest month on the calendar, February feels like a Wednesday. You are eager to see the week come to an end yet have a few more days to go. And, like a Wednesday in a work or school week, our associations with the month of February can play a role in how we move into spring. Will you feel harried and stressed or ready to embrace a new season?

Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or Lunar New Year, it is also hard not to associate February with the color red. Or, if you are a football fan, hot sauce, chicken wings and BBQ potato chips. For me, February on the East Coast feels like a month to get through and is not always enjoyable. The winter blues are real but even with cold days and long nights, the season of hearts reminds me to take time for myself and have a little fun. Yes, I said it. Fun in February! Think about it, what other month do children everywhere express their feelings of love and affection towards family members and school friends in such a palpable way? It is often a creative time for kids as they make handmade cards, bake sweets and experience the excitement of knowing they are cared for by a larger community.

February is also marked by Black History Month celebrations, where families take time to recognize the achievements of African-Americans as impactful contributors to America’s history. So if you are unaware that National Margarita Day is on February 22nd or the 26th is Carpe Diem Day, think about how to celebrate like a kid who ate too much chocolate because, as parents, we need moments that make our hearts sing, too. And though I generally trudge through the month a little angry with a groundhog, here is what I am doing, right here in New York, to be sure I am full-hearted as we transition toward early spring:

1.    Planting seeds indoors to get a jump on things in the summer garden
2.    Trying out the new Bryant Park bumper cars on ice
3.    Visiting Chinatown for the Lunar New Year Parade
4.    Exploring the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden
5.    Seeing a Broadway show

Whether you choose a “Galentine’s” get-together or staycation at home during Presidents’ Week, enjoy the impending end of winter. Spring is sure to bring the new beginnings we are all hoping for.