14 February 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!

February 14 is designated to honor that age old infatuation we have with love....


love/ləv/

Noun:
An intense feeling of deep affection: "their love for their country".
Verb:
Feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone): "do you love me?".
Synonyms:
noun.  affection - fondness - darling - passion
verb.  like - be fond of - fancy - adore

A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.
Ingrid Bergman

Romantic love, longed for and spurned alike, can be salvation when returned freely, torment when unrequited.  Love fills or breaks the heart, inspires or crushes.  With the promise of love, we give all, even foolishly, to please, to win, to display our devotion.  Is it any wonder, then, our fixation on this emotion?  And what is true love?






A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a sailor knows the open sea.
Honore de Balzac

Admittedly, I am no great fan of Valentine's Day.  It's not that I don't love...well...love.  Not at all!  Shall I hang my head in shame at the admission?  Ha!  I'm not against Valentine's Day, either.  Preparing a special dinner for the one you love, writing a poem, a love letter, these all are wonderful ways to honor the animal we call love. But buying a card, a trinket, can all be done without love...hence my reluctance to buy into a set holiday.  

Love is lived, a verb rather than an emotion.  I experience love in the small things.  Rising early to make coffee, setting aside a want to give another their own, taking the time to listen, receiving hugs from little hands that ask nothing in return - this is love.  

May your Valentine's Day be filled with love of the purest kind. 


A man reserves his true and deepest love not for the species of woman in whose company he finds himself electrified and enkindled, but for that one in whose company he may feel tenderly drowsy.
George Jean Nathan



As a romance novelist, crazy, heart-stopping love is my business - or at least my ideas about it.  But deep abiding love and passion, the sort that comes from a true and honest knowing of another soul, unfolds slowly over the course of a lifetime.  To capture that heartfelt sentiment....

6 comments:

  1. I'm similar to you. I'm not for or against Valentine's Day. My hubby and I celebrate it every year in a quiet, not so expensive, way.

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  2. Re: Valentine's Day
    I can take it or leave it. I've been married too long to get worked up about another day to stimulate the country's economy. My honey knows I love him. And I know he loves me. No card and candy required.

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  3. My hubby and I don't do Valentines Day. Though I did a little craft with my son and helped him make a special heart for his daddy. Just little things every day keep our love strong and growing over the years.

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  4. It is the love shown on a Thursday just because that is a treasure to behold. Almost anything can be bought, but love must be given freely. When given in such a way, it's a never ending circle of give and take.

    The true beauty of love as action, not just emotion.

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  5. Valentines day is an odd one. I have never really 'done' valentines day with past boyfriends. I prefer to have a lovely card or thoughtful gift when it comes from them not because of a specific day but on the other hand I want some attention when everyone else is getting cards and flowers!

    Being single this valentines day was a bit of a hurdle (the first v day after a break up sucks!) but to be honest it was like every other day. Yes it made me think of relationships and love but I didn't feel terrible that I am not in one currently. Good things come to those who wait (please remind me I said this often!).

    Also, heads up that my Death comes to Pemberley review is on my blog :)

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