{♥ speaking of love…}

“Now that I’ve thought a good bit about Valentine’s history, I’ve had a bit of a change of heart (heh) about Valentine’s Day. I think we need a day like Valentine’s Day, but not for the reasons flower and chocolate manufacturers might think.

We see a lot of hate. It’s everywhere – hate gets a lot of headlines. And there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of it, either. If I sign on to social media of any form, or check my email, there’s usually something that’s bound to make my blood pressure go up, and my optimism go way, way down.” – Sarah Wendell, SB

Once again, SB Sarah speaks the truth.

I will own up: I have been a HATER. I hate being told what to do (teeeensy little problem with authority), and every year since I’ve paid attention there’s been the relentless Valentine’s ads on radio, TV, in my inbox — it’s seemed that this stupid holiday has been trying to boss me since first grade – forcing me to love, telling me when to love (*only one day a year), and how to love (*with the cheapest crap you can fork over to your grade school friends, followed by the most expensive crap you don’t need to impress your SO), how much chocolate and chalky conversation hearts and outlays of red foil it takes to buy someone’s affection. Enough. I’m over it. I will not be bossed. I have herewith stopped being a hater. Love wins, right? So, I’ve re-idealized what my aunt calls “VD” (eew) into Heart Day, and from hereafter, I’m all about the love.

For SB Sarah, it’s love stories. It might not just be romance which reaffirm your belief in love, but it might also be stories like the one where girl gets a new Tardis, courtesy of her community, or the one where an adopted kid – at thirteen, no less – gets his first birth announcement photos done (Who cares if his little hands and feet are a little big for a newborn?), or, that story of the one amazing day in Seattle when “going to the chapel” was a beautiful thing, or the one story where a man being slandered took each word of abuse and turned it into consciousness-raising, community supporting gold… there are hundreds of stories.

Find one. Make one. Whatever it takes to reaffirm that love wins – that it’s real for all and for always, discover it today. Hold it close. And, if you want, draw it on the sidewalk with a conversation heart.

With love,

t♥♥♥