About Love

I've been thinking a lot about Valentine's Day today. I'm lucky enough to have found love, but I have had my fair share of really bad V-days. There is one in particular that I will never forget. It was my freshman year in college, all my friends and roommates had dates or boyfriends on February 14. This was pretty typical of my freshman year. I was often the third wheel, rarely got asked out on dates and became pretty secluded. That day I decided to avoid my apartment complex at all costs. I stayed on campus all day and was studying in the library late that night. It was probably around 8:00 when a stranger came up to my table where I was studying, put down a note and left. I looked around, I was the only person on that whole floor besides the people working. I opened the note and inside was chocolate and a message that said something to the effect of: "Intelligence is beautiful. And the world needs more women with that kind of beauty. Thank you for taking your studies seriously. Happy Valentine's Day." I lost the note in the midst of multiple moves but will never forget the essence of that note. I was struck. It was a small gesture, I'm sure I was not the only recipient, but it was enough to get me through the rest of that night. You see, Valentine's Day isn't about lovers. It's about love. Everyone should love themselves and their family. And most people have that. Some other people have boyfriends/spouses/lovers and it's fun to celebrate that too. But mostly Valentine's Day is about love. I will never forget that, and I hope that is what most people remember.

This year Penny was old enough to pass out little Valentine's to the people she loves the most: her friends. And being a good mom, I am trying to indulge in her love of all things bugs and reptiles (even if it gives me nightmares and makes me want to vomit). We made Love Bug Valentines which I'm sure everyone has seen on Pinterest, but I don't care. Penny loved them and she loved giving them to her little friends. So here is a little Valentine's day post from both Penny and I. Happy Valentine's Day Love Bug. We hope you remember who and what you love, because we are remember all the people we love- and that includes you!