By Jenny J
I used to think love was supposed to arrive in a grand, cinematic moment—like a scene from a movie where the music swells and everything around you fades into the background. I thought Valentine’s Day was proof of that, a stage set for love to declare itself in flowers, chocolates, and candlelit dinners. But over time, I’ve come to understand love differently—not as something that arrives with a flourish, but as something we choose, over and over again.
Love is not just red roses on February 14th. It’s the way he remembers that I hate the sound of alarm clocks and wakes me up gently instead. It’s how she never lets me leave the house without a kiss, even if we’re running late. It’s the patience of waiting for someone to grow, the kindness of holding space when words fail, the warmth of an old friend who knows exactly when to call.
The first time I spent Valentine’s Day alone, I thought the universe had forgotten about me. Everywhere I looked, love was on display—couples tucked into cozy corners at restaurants, heart-shaped boxes filling store shelves, love songs playing on repeat. I mistook my solitude for loneliness, but in hindsight, that was the year I started redefining love. I bought myself flowers, went to my favorite café, and wrote in my journal about the kind of love I wanted—not just from a partner, but from myself, from my friendships, from the life I was building.
Love is not one-size-fits-all. It doesn’t always look like a rom-com or a Valentine’s Day Instagram post. It is quiet and steady, unpredictable and wild, sometimes messy but always transformative. It is the deep belly laughter with a best friend, the reassuring squeeze of a mother’s hand, the small gestures that say, “I see you. You matter.”
So if this Valentine’s Day finds you wrapped in the arms of someone you adore, celebrate that. If it finds you on your own, know that love is still with you, waiting in unexpected places. Love is not just the flowers and the cards—it’s the life you create, the kindness you give, and the way you choose to love, every single day.
And that is something worth celebrating, today and always.
