Dear friends,

As we enter Valentine’s Day week, and the topic of love is all around us, I thought it would be fun to dive a little deeper into love, and examine how we truly define it. Valentine’s Day used to be really triggering for me, as I often craved that deep romantic love with the over-the-top gestures, so when I didn’t see that in my life, I got bummed out. Repeatedly.

What’s been great about re-defining love, in my life in particular, is that it has opened me up to seeing how much love there is in the world, that expands way past the romantic love that commercial holidays represent.

I love to define love as the little moments, the tiny gestures, the in-betweens in life that make us feel, that give us pause, that allow us to be seen.

I love to think of love as the underlying motivator that encourages us to do good, to be better, to be kinder, and more compassionate.

I love to feel love as a recognition of kindness from someone, as an appreciation and an openness for human connection.

I love to see love as inclusion, empathy, and care.

What’s beautiful about love is that it’s so much more than romance, it’s how you treat yourself, how you treat those around you, how present you are, and the care you put in to your life.

Thank you all for the love you show to me, I send it all right back to you.

I’d love to hear, how do you define love?

xo, Michelle