L❤️VE Day

Valentine’s Day (at least in the US) is known as a day for giving flowers, chocolates, and gifts to your loved one(s). While I used to really abhor this “Hallmark Holiday”—to me love should be shared every day, not just reserved for a day of overpriced gifts—I have since come to change my perspective on this day of LOVE. I see LOVE as a need in our world. Whether it’s self-love, friend love, parent love, child love, or partner love, love should be shared and celebrated.

For this LOVE day, I decided to do a little research into the history of St. Valentine and how he came to be celebrated on this 14th day of February. What I learned is that February has been celebrated as a month of love and romance for many centuries. St. Valentine’s Day is noted by many sources as having roots in both Christian and Roman traditions. A few short stories noted 2, maybe 3, “saints” named Valentine—a priest and 2 bishops (or maybe just 2 bishops…details are unclear)—who have some connection to the mystery of the origin story. These men were martyrs as men who died in the name of Christianity by Roman persecution. Another story I read indicated that St. Valentine was, in fact, one man who lived in and from love, and his actions showed love through his death. We may never know the full truth, but the legend and the mystery make it all the more intriguing.

According to the website, History.com, at the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day,, and shortly thereafter it was definitively associated with love. During the middle ages, several factors played into the romanticism of Valentines Day, beginning with the noted timing of birds’ mating season, to the inspired “love” poetry that was ignited, and up to the first known (or recognized) Valentine greeting in the early 1400s. And while Cupid may be portrayed as a cherub with wings and a bow and arrow, Cupid actually originated in Greek Mythology as the God of Love, Eros. He was known as a strong, handsome immortal man who would use a golden arrow to incite love. (history.com) Over time, the evolution of Eros to cupid has resulted in the childlike mischief of the current-day cupid.

In the 17th and 18th centuries the celebration of love and Valentines day started with with small gestures and handwritten notes professing one’s love. By 1900 printed cards slowly began to replace the handwritten ones and technology rapidly evolved the sentiment of Valentine’s Day in many ways. The story behind the evolution of this “love” day is somewhat bittersweet.

On this February 14, 2025, I want to share an excerpt of something I’ve been working on. My vision is a multimedia project, created from the basis of LOVE, to shine a light on love as an action and our capacity and willingness to share it, to receive it (sometimes harder), and an active presence to live in it every day. Whether you celebrate the Valentine’s Day holiday itself or avoid it all together, I do hope you celebrate love today and every day. In life, what we all need is a little L-O-V-E. May you be BRAVE enough to be it, to live it, to share it, and to receive it.

BRAVE Love

Be Present in Love. Regardless of the type of love—self, friends, family, partner—be present with the person(s) involved. Create a bond. Believe in the heart of the person, including yourself.

Reflect from a place of love. Reassure each other (or yourself). Reaffirm your commitment to self care, to your partner, or to your friendship. Rekindle and revitalize that love. Create romance through little gestures that show you care. This includes self love and care too.

Awareness of pure love and in how you show up, for yourself / others. Admiration and appreciation. Seek to see the good inside. Adventure together. Affirm your love. Give affection. Above all be authentic with your words and your actions.

Vulnerability is love. Let go of fear and shame. Value yourself or your loved one(s). Visualize the love you want, and take action to create it.

Elevate love. Raise the level of what you give and the desire to receive. Embrace it. Encourage and enjoy each other. Explore and enrich your relationship. Tap into Eros, the greek god of love and become all things love. When working from this pure and genuine place—your authentic self, despite the fear—you will see the change of what comes back to you.

BRAVE Love - copyright 2025. Created and written by Vanessa Taylor affiliated to NashvilleConnected and WildflowerConfidence. All rights reserved.