Love is in the air today. And though that thing we call love shouldn’t come down to one day a year – I suppose it’s okay to give in a bit to the actuality that every February 14th it happens to be on steroids (and prix fixe dinner menus).

In fact, I can attest that it doesn’t come down to one day a year. As I look back over this week, small acts of love and kindness were all around in varying degrees, ranging from people closest to me to the newest of friends. Though it’s pretty clear Valentine’s Day salutes those in romantic relationships (with money to burn), perhaps it’s worth thinking about all forms of love on this day. This is quite appropriate if you think about it.

Before Valentine’s Day even made an appearance, I’d received a kind email from a new friend simply saying “hi” wishing me well,  just because flowers from my boyfriend, a thoughtful gift arrived in the mail, and later a colleague at work dropped off a single pink carnation (double floral score!) to share some cheer. Simply put, while I’m not saying it’s easy – the goal should be to find the Valentine’s Day in everyday, in all of its forms.The L-word is not a once a year kind of thing.

I talked recently about the many stages to the Valentine’s Day experience, and trust me, I’ve been through many of them myself. I won’t go into whether one should be a believer or not, why we place so much pressure on this day, or even play devil’s advocate and say perhaps we need this day as a gentle reminder to consider love (okay, I kinda just did); but whatever stage you find yourself at on this day it’s exactly where you’re supposed to be.

As for me, tonight will be low-key, though I’m certain a piece of chocolate or two will be involved. We’re opting to hang out at home and marathon through season 2 of The Killing on Netflix to avoid all the crowds and annoying, over-priced fixed menus. Instead, our plan is to head out for brunch on Saturday morning. The idea being that perhaps since everyone ate out the night before, they’re likely too hung-over or broke to make the trek out for breakfast the next day – giving us access to the best table at one of L.A.’s hottest restaurants without the wait time. (I’m not that naive – but a girl can dream.)

Happy Valentine’s Day to you!

And if you happen to be on the team that’s of the non-believer-I-hate-this-holiday persuasion, hang in there…this will all be over in less than 18 hours. 🙂