I suspect that many of us are seeing our facebook feeds full of profile pictures from wedding photos, pictures of chocolates & flowers, and proclamations of love left and right today. After all, it’s Valentine’s day, the day we feast on and dish out love to the world.

For many people, this day sucks. Sucks. Two years ago it was an ok day for me, last year it was great, and this year it marks the ten day countdown to marrying my love, Dan Miller. So I’m changing my profile picture, and I’m engaging in the ruckus of love love love. Guilty as loved.

The many years before these, well, I celebrated F-VD. Yep, it was that. It was a day to bury my head in shame, to be missing that someone (sometimes even that “anyone, darn it all”) feeling. It was a day to commiserate with girlfriends who were in the same boat. There was typically wine & chocolate involved, but they didn’t come wrapped in a bow and following a proclamation of “I love you” or even “You’re really cool and dating you is fun.” Sucked.

I have seen a few posts today from friends and even acquaintances who are still there…stuck in the “before love came along” phase. Or maybe even after it came along, shattered your heart and left you disillusioned phase. Or it just hurt a little when it didn’t happen phase. Or it still hurts and we don’t know how to fix it phase. It’s not what you hoped it would be phase. And while I’m eagerly celebrating my own love situation today, my heart hurts for those who aren’t. It wasn’t so long ago….I remember…..I still feel…and I still want to punch this day in the throat for you.

I thought about writing a lovely little blog post featuring all these amazing shots from gorgeous weddings I have photographed, and then thought that didn’t really share what was on my heart.

So I decided to put together a collection of photos that celebrate love. In its many different forms.

Yes, it’s at weddings. It’s all over weddings (note I did include a few examples!)
But it’s also in growing flowers in your yard and watching them bloom.
It’s in finding a challenge and accomplishing a goal (marathon, anyone)?
It’s in volunteering.
Putting on a tutu and dancing.
Between sisters.
A love of good music and good friends and celebrating those things together.
Love of a good beer.
Community. Family. History. Travel.
Farm animals. Some people LOVE them.
Being young and jumping in a pool and not caring who sees you.
Loving what you do and helping others love it too.

It’s love, it’s life, and it’s all around us. So while you may be saying “roses are read, valentine’s day is poo,” let me remind you that you can celebrate exactly where you are, every day. Today, go ahead and ignore it (if you can). Love isn’t just two individuals whose ships happen to bump in the night….it’s bigger. It’s bolder, and it’s a lot more beautiful, and if we can learn to see love every day, to proclaim it to and for each other more often, then maybe for some people, today won’t suck as much.

For those of you whose hearts hurt a little today….just know that you are loved and can love….beyond measure….and beyond today.

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