![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Happy Valentine's Day
Feb. 14th, 2002 11:29 pmWhen I was in high school, I bought into the counterculture trend of hating Valentine's Day. I dressed in black and sulked around, meditating on my unpopularity and ugliness, and generally made myself miserable by any and all means possible.
I don't know quite when or how things changed. I do know that it wasn't contingent upon having a boyfriend; I was dating in high school, and there were years that I was single and happy. I do know, though, that somewhere along the line I realized that, for me at least, Valentine's Day isn't entirely about boyfriends and kissing and romantic love. It's a celebration of love in all forms and all ways, and it's a chance for me to remember how blessed I am in so many ways.
I have a marvelous boyfriend, gods know. I came home from work tonight to find a candlelit dinner waiting, and myself showered with gifts - red and gold flame-colored tulips, a teddy bear and a box of chocolates, a new book, and most importantly, the love of my sweetheart. Words can't express how much I love him, and how grateful I am to have him in my life. But my luck doesn't end there.
I have coworkers who give me heart-shaped lollipops. I have a mother who sends me embarrassingly huge boxes of chocolate. I have cats who... well, okay, who fish broken eggshells out of the garbage to give to me, but a gift is a gift.
I have friends who stand by me, and support me unquestioningly, no matter how hectic my life gets or whether or not I can even tell them what's wrong. I have neighbors who wave and smile. I have a circle of love that surrounds me at all times, holding me close and safe, not protecting me from the world but allowing me to be part of it.
If you're reading this, odds are you're part of that circle. I love you, for being here for me, and for being yourself. My friends and family, my loved ones, are the mortar that holds the pieces of me together. You allow me to be more than the sum of my parts and experiences, by bringing yourselves and your love and your thoughts and strengths into my life. This is the most precious gift I can imagine, and I hope I can show you how much it means to me, and that I can do the same for you in return.
I love you. Happy valentine's day.
I don't know quite when or how things changed. I do know that it wasn't contingent upon having a boyfriend; I was dating in high school, and there were years that I was single and happy. I do know, though, that somewhere along the line I realized that, for me at least, Valentine's Day isn't entirely about boyfriends and kissing and romantic love. It's a celebration of love in all forms and all ways, and it's a chance for me to remember how blessed I am in so many ways.
I have a marvelous boyfriend, gods know. I came home from work tonight to find a candlelit dinner waiting, and myself showered with gifts - red and gold flame-colored tulips, a teddy bear and a box of chocolates, a new book, and most importantly, the love of my sweetheart. Words can't express how much I love him, and how grateful I am to have him in my life. But my luck doesn't end there.
I have coworkers who give me heart-shaped lollipops. I have a mother who sends me embarrassingly huge boxes of chocolate. I have cats who... well, okay, who fish broken eggshells out of the garbage to give to me, but a gift is a gift.
I have friends who stand by me, and support me unquestioningly, no matter how hectic my life gets or whether or not I can even tell them what's wrong. I have neighbors who wave and smile. I have a circle of love that surrounds me at all times, holding me close and safe, not protecting me from the world but allowing me to be part of it.
If you're reading this, odds are you're part of that circle. I love you, for being here for me, and for being yourself. My friends and family, my loved ones, are the mortar that holds the pieces of me together. You allow me to be more than the sum of my parts and experiences, by bringing yourselves and your love and your thoughts and strengths into my life. This is the most precious gift I can imagine, and I hope I can show you how much it means to me, and that I can do the same for you in return.
I love you. Happy valentine's day.
