Love is in the air

Valentine's Day. It seems like everywhere I look, there are reminders blasting me in the face that it's coming. I can't watch TV, pick up a prescription or even go to the gym without one. It's a Hallmark holiday... a moneymaker for florists and chocolate companies.

It's just another day. A crappy, gaudy, glitter-encrusted, cuteness-overloaded day.

Isn't it?

I used to think Valentine's Day exists to remind me that I'm lonely. I walk through CVS or Target and it seems like all those frilly pink and red heart shaped things are silently screaming "I'm not for you!" But as I've gotten older, I accept and ignore all that kitsch. I put my blinders up to do my shopping, and tell myself it's just another day. It's cheesy and stupid. Who needs this crap anyway?

I think the answer to that last question is: we all do. I do. I need it bad. I'm not just talking about couples or romance, that excludes too many people. In fact, it excludes me, and I'm not down with that. I think if you look past all the lace and heart-shaped whatever, you'll see that it's actually a pretty wonderful thing to have a day that celebrates love. I may not have a date, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I love and am loved by many wonderful people.

It's easy to forget that when all I see surrounding me in January and February is romantic vomit all over every store ever. Loneliness creeps in and I think about how much I'd like to be coming home to someone, instead of an empty, dark apartment. Romantic love is precious. Having a partner and a mate to lean on and walk through life with is worth more than anything I can think of. It is not something to scoff at or take lightly, and one day I hope to find it.

But like many many people I haven't found it yet. I'm realizing more and more though, that most of us have a bigger network of love and support than we realize, and we take it for granted.

I don't want Valentine's Day to be just another day. Celebrating love is one of the most worthwhile things you can do. I celebrate my friends and family. I celebrate people I've loved in the past and people I have yet to meet. That thought all by itself lifts me up like you wouldn't believe.

I sometimes do have to remind myself that I'm not alone, and way too often that's really hard to do... especially this time of year. It seems like everyone is paired off these days and I am showing up to the ark solo, like I didn't get the memo or something.

But really, not everyone is, and that's OK. We all do things in our own time, and things happen when we're ready for them to. In the meantime, rediscover how important the existing people in your life are, and fall in love with them again. Valentine's Day should, in its purest form, serve as a reminder and revival for ALL of those who we love and who love us in return.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Lets celebrate together.