Celebrate Love

This may come late- but for love, there is never really a late. Although we are given a specific day to celebrate love, it is in the everyday in's and out's of life where we can stop and celebrate the people we hold so dear. During those moments when flowers aren't expected, but show up anyways. Or when receiving a letter in the mail isn't even a thought on our mind when one appears from a friend. It's those moments where we are living out our mundane, repetitious life- making dinner in the kitchen when someone gives us a huge hug from behind and says "I love you." Those are the moments our hearts swell and we can stop and thank God for the love that surrounds us in our lives.

But Valentines Day, I'm not a cynic of it at all. In fact, any day that allows us to stop and be thankful for the blessing of love in our life is a great day in my book. And anybody who knows me knows that I love the romance and hype that comes with Valentines Day, after-all, if you catch me on the right day I may even tell you that Valentines Day is my favorite holiday. I think there is something truly special about a a day that allows a Dad to take the extra time to hold his daughter close and give her another I Love You, maybe one that is overdue. Or causes a husband to take a detour from his route home from work to purchase an all to over-used Hallmark card, but thoughtful just the same for his wife who may have forgotten over the past year how much he truly does value her. And even for all those single people on Valentines Day, there is plenty of love that has blessed the lives of each and every one of us- a parents love, a grandparents love, a siblings love, the love of a relative, best friend, acquaintance, employer, or-best of all- the love of our heavenly Father, the one who made us and loves us exactly for who we are.

So behind all that Hallmark, consumerism, expectations that is Valentines Day- don't ever forget that there is something truly beautiful about our beating hearts and their desire to be wholly loved.

I'm looking forward to a postponed Valentines Day celebration with Rob this weekend and excited that we are planning a weekend to celebrate our love and all the victories it has  that have come with it.