I am reminded by a very good friend and pastor that as Valentines Day approaches, I may be single but I am not alone and I am not unloved. That's been very difficult for me for years and it remains so today to some extent. I don't recall a single year that I have been in a relationship during this month. It's been so long since I've been in a relationship that I've become quite cynical of the idea, even if somewhat still hopeful.

When I see families together, parents/children, and I know the relationships are strong I can't help but be a bit envious of them. I'm very happy for them also. And I'm grateful for their experiences.

Apart from this one day a year that has been marketed for love, love should be expressed every minute of every day. Love for family, love for neighbor, love for friends, love for strangers, love for enemies...it's what we're taught from a very early age, or should be. It's a very good thing to learn and put into practice, often. We are loved, by friends, by others, by spouses, by family, by our Creator. Faith, Hope, and Love. The greatest of these is Love. That's no mistake. That's a good thing to remember when I'm feeling lonely, feeling left out. Love is active. It shouldn't just sit there.

I receive a message from a friend of my youth. That's an act of love. I receive a smile from a stranger. That's an act of love. Someone stops so I can cross the intersection safely. That's love. I hear from friends I haven't been in touch with for years. That's love.

Some One lives for the sole purpose of dying in my place. That's Love.