Too Much Love for One Day
I hate Valentine's Day. I do.
I'm sure that comes as a huge surprise, especially since I am married and therefore have my own permanent valentine.
My beef with the holiday started long before matrimony, but was never part of a bitter rage that came from feeling perpetually single. But here's the thing, I just could never wrap my head around spending one day celebrating love, when love is such a massive, impactful, and life-changing part of who we are as humans.
Love has changed my life on so many levels that I can't just squeeze all of that into one solitary day. I never, ever realized the extent of unconditional love until I married Michael. My eyes have been opened and I don't want to celebrate that one day out of the year, I want to celebrate it everyday.
Love has made me a better person. My parent's unwavering love and support has made me the determined woman I am today. My sibling's love and friendship has given me the confidence needed to follow my dreams. The love of my friends has carried me through some of life's darkest moments. Most of all, the love of God has permeated every fiber of my being and completely taken me from a sinful, pathetic state and turned me into a worthy daughter of God.
Love has shown up in unexpected ways. At one time, I loathed the idea of being married, could care less about holiday's like Valentine's Day, and had way too much of life to conquer to ever dream about stopping.
The photo above was taken in November of 2008 at a party in DC. This photo was taken 30 minutes after I met the man in the photo who would become my husband in July of 2010. I met my urban cowboy on the dance floor of a mutual friend's birthday party. I was instantly taken by his height (I'm 5' 10"), wild green eyes, dance moves, and cowboy boots. Who knew that on this ordinary night I would meet the love of my life?
This is so full of cheese, but to me, everyday is like Valentine's Day when you are deeply and well loved. So, eat some chocolate, drink some champagne, and cheers to love 365 days of the year. Perhaps we should just consider Valentine's Day love's New Year's Eve.