It’s Valentine’s Day, and I felt compelled to reflect on love. I’ll try to avoid the cliches.

Every new year I decide on a word that will guide me for the next 12 months. There was The Year of Intention, The Golden Year, the Year of Clarity, so on and so forth.

I declared 2024 The Year of Love.

Why? Well, besides being a relentless romantic, and love being the only thing we’re here on earth to do, I imagine it has something to do with where I’m at in my life.

Let’s have a closer look…

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I have been romantically in love with approximately 4 people in my life. Wait, 5.

And, I’ve spent much of my adult life sorting out the meaning of those loves (as well as the less significant encounters I have had) along the way. The agony! The ecstasy! The triggered insecurities! BUT! I always emerge with a grateful/stronger heart and a deep appreciation for all my past loves, whose first initials, interestingly, spell out the word BETA. If I were cleverer, I could come up with a funny interpretation about how my BETA loves have been my “testers” on my journey to find my ALPHA love…but, like, not in a toxic masculinity kind of way…like the #1, most important love kind of way? You get me?

But we all know that love comes in many beautiful and complicated forms. For me, it’s the deep self-love I’ve developed over the past several years (i.e. the 5th person on my love list!); the complex but healing love with my mom and brother; the patient, gentle, evolving love I have for my dad; the authentic and elevating love for my friends; the pure and fulfilling love I receive from my students; my unconditional love for my family’s dog, Bella; love for my new home and the fountain that lulls me to sleep every night; love for travel and dancing and exploring and the ocean and good wine and new connections and on and on and on.

So as I sit here in my garden reflecting on the big “L” (in an intentional effort to refocus the low-key disappointment of not having a V Day date tonight), I am reminded that, indeed, love actually is all around.

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Shortly after declaring 2024 The Year of Love, I found a framed print of the word LOVE on the streets of New York City. I took it as a reaffirmation from my spirit guides to stay fully open to giving and receiving all the love, in all the forms. I then proceeded to tout it around town proclaiming that all we need is love.

Now excuse me while I go light my rose quartz candle, pour a glass of wine, and pack for my Europe trip tomorrow. Because, Happy Valentine’s Day to me 😉