I have never really been much into Valentine's Day. It never really felt authentic. It just seemed to me like another staged celebration of something that should be a little more...real. Gestures of love and thoughtfulness should happen all the time - not just because someone tells you to do it. Maybe I am unrealistic in my expectations of love (shocker), but I want love to be a little more from the heart. Not so much from the obligation of it all. Yes... I buy little chocolate heart candies for my boy. And I admit it...I did make brownies shaped in little hearts last night for a fun treat today, but mostly, I don't celebrate this day in all it's forced glory.
So today, when this from-the-heart Valentine gift showed up on my porch, I melted a little. I wasn't expecting to have something so sweet and thoughtful happen today. I wasn't imagining that love would knock me off my feet today. But it has. And now, I am a Valentine's Day believer.
Love is anywhere if you really stop and look for it. True, authentic, thoughtful love is right in front of you. It's in the simple gesture of holding a door open or someone doing the the dishes for you after a long day. It's in a warm and welcome hug or a listening ear. It doesn't always come packaged with a red ribbon. It's not always hiding inside a box of chocolates. But it's there. You just have to want to see it.
Happy Valentine's Day friends. May all your days be filled with authentic love. And mostly, may you be able to see it.