Day of Love

Here's the deal- I believe our society can get a little out of hand when it comes to celebrating holidays and special occasions. I could elaborate on that, but it's a high horse I don’t feel like mounting today. Even though I don't always agree with the ways in which we celebrate holidays and occasions-I still think they are so important to acknowledge. I guess my skepticism typically leads to me questioning: what was the intention, what was the outcome/result, and do we need all the extravagant fluff...  

Take Valentine's Day, for example. There are gifts and candies and expensive dinners, romantic gestures, and flowers, reminders to show the one you love how much you love them. It feels like one big day to overdo it and then go back to “normal” the remaining 364 days of the year. Not to mention, all the emphasis is placed on romantic/partnered love. So, I challenge: what about focusing on self-love? What about making sure your friends and family know they're loved? What about making sure the celebration with your partner is actually a reflection of your love and relationship and not based on consumption and stress resulting in unmet expectations? 

All that being said, I truly do like to look at holidays and occasions as reminders and excuses to slow down and focus on the real, deep, connecting things that matter (love languages quality time & words of affirmation, can you tell?). So, on this Valentine's Day, this Day of Love, following are some people, things, and feelings that I love, ways I love myself, and ways I “romanticize” my life: 

• I love hugs from my pup, Nox, smothering him in kisses, and endlessly annoying him

• I love hugging my soulmate, Nico, for longer than average amounts of time…ok, physical touch also high on the love language list…and phone calls that last well over average durations

• I love the way my niece so honestly and earnestly expresses love for her family or what she thinks/feels

• I love how my nephew lights up when he learns something new and interesting…and his mischievous little smirk which he gets from my brother-in-law, G Bear

• I love the long, albeit very rare, phone calls I get from my brother (seriously, the kid hates phone calls..and when I call him a kid) and hearing the ways he views the world 

• I love getting to see my mom wade into the waters of self-exploration and healing in the wake of grief and loss (obviously don’t love the grief and loss part, those parts are brutal, but inescapable parts of life)

• I love the ebbs and flows in my relationship with my sister; how we dance back and forth throughout our lives, or any given day, one being the support/cheerleader until we need the other to take a turn at leading

• I love how protected and cared for I feel by my always-so-strong dad and in turn how I’ve learned over the years to see through to his gentle, caring, vulnerable core

• I love my sister-in-law, Melly, for being one of the best fun/ adventure/hike/ice cream & cookies eating buddies

• I love my friend Kristen for navigating deep conversations around our desire to learn, grow, and show up differently and for also being down for adventures

• I love my friend Whitney for surprising me with her observations of me in a way that makes me feel very seen and for her sweet crafting skills

• I love my PP (platonic partner), Rebecca, for listening to some really hard stuff, asking thoughtful/thought-provoking questions, and offering encouragement

• I love my friend Lexi for always being down to venture out or stay in and very quickly becoming my family away from home

• I love my husband and wife for always matching my energy level, never making me feel like I’m too much, and always making me feel included

• I love zoo dates, fangirling over Taylor Swift, and sending silly snaps and videos back and forth with my friend Lindy

• I love those long-time, always-there-even-when-we-haven’t-seen-one-another-in-years-or-talked-in-a-while connections with other friends and family members

• I love my shower

  • at twilight as the sunlight cascades through the window and basks everything in a magical golden glow

  • for being the only time I’m warm in winter 

  • for washing away days and energy amongst the evening glow of candlelight 

• I love being alone in typically busy places and feeling the reverberation of energy (think running down Broadway early in the morning, Bicentennial at night)

• I love stretching before bed while enjoying a cup of tea

• I love how my discovery of podcasts reminds me I’m not alone and gives me so much to learn and think about

• I love the quiet and peace I find in the woods 

• I love my visits from dragonflies, owls, and cardinals

• I love discovering my intuition and learning to connect with and listen to my body

• I love dancing, singing in my car or in the shower, and feeling music

Honestly, I could go on and I believe it is so crucial to our overall well-being and happiness to reflect on the things and people that we love, that make us feel loved, and the ways we love ourselves. The time will inevitably come when we have bad days, when we get into an argument or disagreement with loved ones, when we feel alone, unknown, or unworthy. Days of grief, anger, frustration, and hopelessness. So we must remind ourselves and our people of all the love that exists and is possible, otherwise, what is Valentine's Day even for?! 😉

💗 always, Court