Happy Valentine's Day!

It's Valentine's Day- a day that millions of couples people look forward to, and a day that millions of people dread. To be totally honest, I am usually the latter. I typically feel like Valentine's Day is just an over-commercialized way of making single people feel even more alone than they already feel and an excuse for couples to have a night out and give each other gifts. I know that the past few years while I've been single, it was pretty much impossible for me to think about anything but "Where's my Valentine?" This was never an easy day for me, especially living with three girls who all had boyfriends when I did not. Even when I have had "Valentines", there's just something weird about this one day of the year that we put so much emphasis on having a significant other. It's really a lot of pressure whether you are or are not in a relationship.

This year, I have a Valentine. He's my very best friend. He's been there for me when I was feeling alone. And I feel so lucky this Valentine's Day to have him in my life. However, the fact that we got to go to a fancy dinner and dance to love songs all night really isn't the most important thing to me. (Not that I didn't enjoy it! I really did!) But I realized that what matters to me is that we have been given another day to live. Another day to love. Another day to spend with someone we care about and who cares about us. And when I think about that, every day should be Valentine's Day. We should let all those people in our lives that we love know how much we love them every day because we're never promised tomorrow. Don't save it all for some hyped up day that the world tells you is about love, disguised as boxes of chocolate, a dozen roses, and some chubby cherub with a bow and arrow. Love equals... a lot of things, but I know love doesn't equal presents, or dates, and definitely not chubby cherubs shooting people. I'd like to think that one equivalent is gratitude, because love is such a gift that we are blessed by. Thank you, to everyone who has ever cared about me, for taking the time to think of me and spend time with me. My life is deeply enriched because of you. And thank you, God, for all the blessings and love that you continue to pour out on me even though I don't deserve it. You are the very face of love, and it is my goal to love like You do- without limits.

Valentine's Day... there's hope for you yet. Thanks for the epiphany.