number fifteen: valentines day

i know i know, this holiday was created by the card companies.

and yeah, i probably just confused some of my avid readers... the happily solo LKB has a thing for valentines day? what sort of sense does this make? well, i don't have to make sense, it's my right as a woman.


the first valentines day i can recall was in elementary school. my longest relationship by a landslide was to a guy named matt i dated from 5th grade through part of 7th. this is the equivalent to over a decade when you're a preteen. matt spoiled me rotten every year, and taught me a lesson young- if a guy's crazy about you he'll show it.

my 5th grade self was getting an early example of what love should look like. however, it wasn't until the summer before my junior year of high school that my expectations about love were phrased eloquently and i am here to pass that on to you all today.


love is a verb.

say it aloud.

love. is. a. verb.

love isn't a word. love isn't a feeling.

love is a verb.


this is one of the many things i have learned from a little summer camp i've dedicated myself to for years upon years. it is probably the lesson that has shaped my life the most thus far. so i've brought this little nugget of theory into your world. what does that have to do with valentines day?

everything, of course.


i love love. i love the terrible love songs, holding hands is like the best drug in the world, and first kisses... don't even get me started. however, that's not what this day is really about. valentines day is, i believe, the most important holiday we've got. it is the one day of the year where you are readily encouraged to show your love through action for someone. you can't just say, "hey, it's valentines day, i stinkin love you." and expect that to suffice. on valentines day you're expected to show your love. ie demonstrate love. ie live the phrase i'm drilling into your head.


clearly i believe that love is actions. valentines day is the perfect day to show how you feel about the special one of a kind people in your life. and although in a perfect would you'd do it day after day maybe this day is a perfect time to start the behavior. practice makes perfect, start practicing using love as a verb tomorrow.

or if you wanna get real crazy, start practicing today.