Valentines Day is only a few days away, and while I feel so extremely lucky to be celebrating with a special someone this year, I cannot help but think about all of the years that have come before. Every February before this one, I would watch everyone else celebrate their love and spend the 14th as couples. While I am not proud of it, I was always a little jealous and felt like I was missing out. Eventually, that jealousy and loneliness began to wear off as I got older. Despite that feeling still lingering, I found love in so many other places.Â
Spending so many Valentines Days alone actually helped shed light on all of the love that existed in the world, and for that I will always be grateful. It sounds corny, but love really is everywhere. It can be hard to see sometimes, hidden behind all of the pain and hurt that exists in our world today, but it is there in the small connections and the big ones.
I find love in the arms of friends who are always ready to give a hug, whether it is to hold me together or to greet me after being apart for a day. It glitters in city lights that I will admire with friends when the sun sets. Love hides in my desk drawers, full of birthday cards, post cards, and envelopes decorated with precision tip markers. It’s between pages of books that have been dog eared by my aunt first, and now me. It rises like steam from the fresh loaves of bread my mom bakes. It sticks to my sweaters and jewelry that have been passed down through the women in my family.Â
But it is not just my life that is full of love. It’s a gift to be able to spot love within others. The mother watching her son play in the snow at the commons is love. The plastic coffee cup doodled on by the barista, and the cafe chairs looking worn from endless customers sitting for conversations with each other. It is in the treats that animal lovers will buy special for their pets. Love shines orange in the light for a shared cigarette. It is a pride flag flown proudly outside of a church and seats given up on a crowded train. Love is in the art on display at museums and in the handmade mug with a bow ready to be gifted.Â
If this valentines day is hard for you to get through, and loneliness is clouding your brain, I understand. But, I encourage you to seek out love in all of the places we forget it exists. Take time to think about all the ways that you are loved, and all of the ways that you can put love out into the world. If that isn’t enough, a sweet treat and a fun drink will always be a helpful fix for the Valentines Day blues!