Things I Truly Love: A Valentine's Day Confession

Confession: I’m not a fan of Valentine’s Day. More so, I feel like the word “love” and its meaning gets thrown around far too half-hazard these days and then, BOOM. In swoops Valentine’s Day to cheapen the whole damn thing. If I’m being honest, I’m embarrassed for us all that we’ve taken something so great as love and pretty much turned it into materialized, commercialized crap.

I don’t believe in setting aside one special day to celebrate love, or the people in our lives that mean the world to us. We should be doing this every day. Finding joy, love and happiness in our everyday lives should be celebrated on the regular. So, if you’re currently throwing a pity party for one because you haven’t found that “special someone” in your life, or if you’re tying your self-worth to whether you receive flowers, jewelry or a fancy steak dinner today, allow me to remind you that today isn’t about tacky ass teddy bears or God awful chocolates that you wouldn’t care about any other time of the year.

It’s about celebrating love in all its glorious shapes and forms.

Along those lines, I thought it would be fun to share a few things with you guys that I truly love (aside from my daughter, family etc. Those are givens). These are a few things that I truly love and cherish daily or in my everyday life. Let us all take time to appreciate the little things in life and how they add up to be so much. Celebrate love daily, and always find the joy in simple things.

I truly love…

… the first sip of coffee in the morning.

… reading other’s words and finding a connection within them.

… the first sleep on fresh clean sheets.

… the feeling a great song invokes.

… stimulating, inspiring and engaging conversation.

… black and white photography.

… holding my daughter and feeling her skin against mine. I carried her for nine months. Sometimes it makes me incredibly sad that one day I will pick her up to hold and carry her and it will be the last time.

… the smell of butter and garlic simmering in a pan.

… an overcast, cloudy day (not raining) with a light cool breeze.

… fall and winter.

… falling asleep on the sofa. It’s so comforting to me.

… a fresh, juicy hamburger, a great glass of wine, and good, high-quality food. Perfectly cooked scallops, foie gras, and oysters raw on the half shell.

… breweries and wineries.

… cleaning. yes, cleaning. It’s incredibly soothing and cathartic to me.

… the smell of an old book, or any book for that matter.

… fresh flowers in the home.

… traveling.

… snail mail, written letters and cards.

… the ocean and sand between my toes.

…musicals, the theatre, independent movies and documentaries.

… animals, and their unique ability to show unconditional love to anyone and everyone.

How about you? What are some things that really tug at your heartstrings and radiate love?