Leonitha Francis

#DearMrV

 

I stumbled across Hallmark's new Valentine campaign, #PutYourHeartToPaper this year. A challenge 🙋I fully accepted and for 7 days leading up Valentine's Day, I shared a series of open letters to my ideal Valentine entitled #DearMrV on my Instagram account. An interesting, insightful and provide a glimpse into the softest place of my heart.

 

Day 1:

#DearMrV, 

In addition to my siblings and trusted friends, I talk to God about you. He created my heart, so it's without thought that He knows why it flutters like crazy whenever your near or the sound of your voice is heard in my ears. When we talk about you, it's from a place of discovery; questions are asked, insecurities are confronted, and answers and directions are given. When we talk about you, it's from a place of excitement; I get to boast on all that's wonderful about you. I tell Him how amazing I think you are and what awesome potential I see in you. I tell Him about the cryptic code in your eyes that unlocks what's guarded in your heart and how it identifies with the reflection in mine. When we talk about you, it's from a place of love. A love that has been taught to be patient, a love that has been molded to be kinder, a love covers a multitude of mistakes. Through you He's shown me the art of patience, and through my talks with Him, He's taught me how to cover you. We talk about you daily, even if you and I don't speak, God & I talk about you. We talk in the morning about your safety, prosperity, covering, patience, goals and plans, strength, advancement and recognition in the workplace. We talk in the evening about your comfort, peace, restoration, healing, heart, mind, soul, rest, desires, needs and wants, unspoken requests and growth. Throughout the day, as He brings you to my mind, I tell Him "Thank You" for the encounter of knowing you and the opportunity to experience something so lovely with you that you've become a running subject of our conversations. God and I talk a lot about a multiplicity of things, but you have become a subject we enjoy and one He takes pleasure in being the center of.

XO, LF. 

#PutYourHeartToPaper #DearMrV #OpenLetterSeries#Day1 #VD2015 #Hallmark #BeingLeah

 

Day 2:

#DearMrV,

There are numerous things about you that I find wildly attractive, but the one that captures my eyes and my heart the most is your dedicated relationship with God. Not an overly religious Bible thumper, but a God fearing man who honors Him in all, well most, of your ways. (LOL. I kid, I joke) There is nothing more admirable than a man who is submitted to God and is sensitive to His voice. To be unapologetic about it, as I have witnessed you be, has been handsomely rewarding. The vulnerability and trust it takes to give of your total being to an unseen God is a strength not commonly measured but greatly treasured. You see, it doesn't just deepen my attraction to you, it stimulates my spirit to be more aligned with the Creator as well. One can chase 1,000, but two can put 10,000 to flight. That's a real "power couple", one that's free to be transparent enough to worship God for who He is to them. That's the beauty of worship, submitting yourself to an alignment that's bigger than you but better for you. 

XO, LF. 

#PutYourHeartToPaper #DearMrV#OpenLetterSeries #Day2 #VD2015 #Hallmark#BeingLeah #MCM

 

Day 3:

#DearMrV,

I have seen sides of you that aren't the warmest, I didn't like them but I still chose to love you in spite of them. Your silent tantrums, one word responses and passive aggressive sarcasm can make a sane woman crazy but I'm a little insane when it comes to you. I'm not exactly sure how or why, but theres a supernatural lens that enables me to see your flaws as intimate scars that need to be bandaged with some tender love and care. This lens shows every hurt as a crater that formed when the mountain of hope and expectation was crumbled by disappointment of others. I see through this lens every fragile place guarded by walls of defense to protect against anymore shattering. I see through this lens a man who desires protection of a sacred heart, careful management of emotions and warm acceptance of his flaws. Juxtaposing in betwixt these two polarizing views of you simultaneously could drive a sane woman crazy, but I'm just a little insane when it comes to you. *wink* I see your flaws, and I love you beyond them. They make you who you are and I want all of you, because in loving just the good I cheat myself of loving a whole person. No one can be a better half to something already perfect, allow the love of our flaws to make us better.

XO, LF. 

#DearMrV #PutYourHeartToPaper #OpenLetterSeries#Day3 #VD2015 #Hallmark #BeingLeah

 

Day 4:

#DearMrV, 

I've shared this song with you previously. It's a total coincidence that today is the 3rd anniversary of Whitney's passing. Each time I listen to it now, I envision myself running to the safety of being in your arms. I know what initially caught your eye was the appearance of me, polished and well put together, smart, driven and in control. But I'm a beautiful mess beyond the naked eye, a masterpiece in the making. I've shared my fears and insecurities with you, and you've always said or done something to make me feel safe with you. These lyrics are an insight to a side of me that many aren't privy to see and I've trusted you with. They speak to the safety I feel with you because you've allowed me to retreat from duties of protecting myself. It's the assurance that I'll never have to fight alone as long as you're around. It's in those moments I feel covered and free to be myself, liberated to conquer anything. In the times when I haven't always been strong, you've been a consistent strength. I wanna run to you, only I want it to be a finish line for my solo rat race, not a checkpoint. So will you stay, or will you run away?

XO, LF. 

#DearMrV#PutYourHeartToPaper #OpenLetterSeries #Day4#VD2015 #Hallmark #BeingLeah

 

Day 5:

#DearMrV, 

AHAHAHAAA!!! You hated when I sent you this. I thought it was cute because it translated to me a shift in how you viewed me. I wasn't just your friend anymore, but our friendship now served as a layer in our foundation. As with all healthy relationships, a concrete friendship is crucial and essential. A friend who shares judgement free exchanges with me, laughs with me, laughs at me and shares inside jokes, encouraging pushes, completes my sentences and shares my thoughts. We're on a level of best friends, but we're not girlfriends. Our football teams may be opposing, I may drink Brandy and you Whiskey, I may suck at Monopoly and you Taboo but these small differences make our friendship encryption that much more unique and personal. We have healthy differences that garner an appreciation for the insight and opinion of the other. We both know how important our friendship is to the other and protect it at all costs. Our infrastructure is critical to our elaborate future and day by day we lay bricks to build and strengthen our base. With every "Good Morning" text, with every prayer, with every "thinking of you..how was your day", every "Good Night Handsome" and pet name and trivial bet, we strengthen our foundation of love built on friendship.

XO, LF. 

#DearMrV #PutYourHeartToPaper#OpenLetterSeries #Day5 #VD2015 #Hallmark #BeingLeah

 

Day 6:

#DearMrV, 

Society unfortunately is not setup to protect you. Everyday is an invisible, incomprehensible battle that only you know because you face it each time you leave the safety of your home. You suit up in your armor and game face to take on the world bravely. The stares, glares and assumptions of the stereotype of your epidermis silently mount a building frustration that you've conditioned yourself to suppress daily. Society has quietly reduced you to a servant in a land where you're a King. That thresh hole you cross into your home is your kingdom. I, as your Queen, eagerly anticipate your need for intimacy. Your shoulders have carried the weight of family and responsibility, allow me to massage away the misogyny of society. Rehearse your day in silence as I cradle your exhausted mind on my chest. My ears are the scribes of your fragility. My arms are the minions of your comfort. My lap will always be your throne, as long as you're my King.

XO, LF.

#DearMrV #PutYourHeartToPaper#OpenLetterSeries #Day6 #VD2015 #Hallmark #BeingLeah

 

Day 7:

#DearMrV,

Today is the day that I've always loathed. I feel it's a man made holiday conjured to generate revenue in the off season post Christmas and pre-Easter. *shrugs* However, this year I've challenged myself not to be such a grinch. I wanted share a portion of my heart with you in a different way. (thank Hallmark) It is my belief that expressions of love, emotion, and sincere feelings should be shared daily. Whether it's waking up to a hot breakfast before you head out to work, you coming home to a playful scavenger hunt before dinner, a midday text, or a late night pillow fight culminated by pillow talk; it's all coming from a genuine place that expresses love beyond the mere utterance. In the spirit of the day, I'll remind you how AMAZING I believe you are, how handsome you are to me, how you melt my heart and warm my soul, how you make me laugh and how you calm my fears. I'll remind you how brilliant I believe your mind to be, how wise you are and how honest and noble you are. I'll remind you how much I trust you, how much I care about you and how much I'm vested in you and us. Today, I'll tell you again, you mean so much to me, you've invaded my heart, taken residence in my soul and monopolized my thoughts. Today and everyday, you are my mine -- my friend, my heart, my Valentine.

XO, LF. 

#DearMrV#PutYourHeartToPaper #OpenLetterSeries #Day7#LastDay #VD2015 #Hallmark #BeingLeah #HappyValentinesDay