Welcome to it. Again. The month of love comes around every year. 

 

Do you look forward to it? 

 

Pink, red and lavender colors to brighten the long winter days. 

 

I find myself adding these hues to my wardrobe every week with purpose. 

Yes, it goes against my nature.

 

Black is the usual comfy color for me in every season as that is the tone of calm and very few surprises. 

 

Are you surprised? 

 

This one month of the year, I add bright colors to bring in the gentleness that reminds me of candy hearts that melt in my mouth, joyful handmade cards and surprises of flowers that may pop up at any time. 

 

For these past single digits of years, this month has also brought a yearning for the truest of love. Again.

 

Parent to child love that you discover the first time your eyes meet that sweet, young one. 

Oh Hello!

Oh Hello! So nice to see you. 

 

The love that is there is hook, line and sinker.  Where are the cards for that love?  The bright color for this head over heels you-bet-I-will-do-anything-for-your-lifetime love? 

 

They are the same colors. 

 

Pink, red and lavender. 

 

So, I wear them this month in all sorts of ways.  

 

Yesterday it was a scarf with all of the colors and red heart earrings and a heart necklace. 

 

Whoa! W-h-o-a

 

All three at once.  My oh my. It was a sight.  Only one person grinned, and it was Brandon.  

 

He knows what’s up and goes with it every year.  Gotta love a man who loves… well, love. 

 

What else are we going to do with this splash of color that goes against nature but makes at least two of us grin? 

Add to the love

Add to it.  How’s that for one idea?

 

In our house, we decide to add to the month of love with other reminders that we can roll with. 

 

One of those ways is a collection of rather fun stuffed animals. In bright colors, because you’re starting to get that theme. 

 

It is for the fun and also for the way it brings us to distinct memories. 

This masked aqua animal of sorts made us both pause and smile so it is the new guest in our February decor.

 

Now, here’s the truth.  

Truth

In the past, this would have been thrown from one end of the house to the other, smashed into every piece of furniture as laughter bounced off the walls with this fellow and then unceremoniously popped into a large bin with every other squishy throwing object around. 

 

Now, we grin and smush it and set it where we can see it all month.  

Ok, I do occasionally want to toss it.  

 

Don’t you?  

 

I was reminded of deep laughter today as I listened to poems read by Dr Maya Angelou. Her voice went from calm to booming higher than the sky to laughter with a grin that reminded me to laugh, for goodness sake, laugh!

Make time to catch the eye of someone and see if they are making their laughter wrinkles worth it. 

 

I know my wrinkles are worth it. Oh my, how we laughed in our home.  Still do. 

 

Here is what else this brings to my mind.

 

This month begins a trail of grand and flowing memories.  Ones that come as quickly as the bouncing of this new addition. 

 

Others that tremble and shiver along until they burst onto the scene like they have been waiting far too long and must be seen. Now. 

 

All come with extraordinary emotions and motions.  Feelings come to me with movement. 

 

What a powerful month, this love and smashing brings. 

Do you feel the depth of love for the small and tall ones in your world?  

 

The whoosh of them with softness and what else?  

 

All of it is worth the color.  Yes, worth even being outside my nature. 

 

Dip a toe into this rhythm, for the love of it, my friends.