DayaDodsonPortfolio

My dearest Raava,

Today is Valentine’s Day. It is the first Valentine’s Day in a while I have enjoyed.

Today I feel perfect or at least something close to it. I wish I had other words to express the feeling other than really good, but I can’t seem to think of any. I feel extremely happy about the people in my life. My friends and family make me so happy. I feel that more than anything right now, and  I wish you could only feel the flutters in my heart right now.

Today has left me to think about how Valentine’s Day gets treated as if it is a holiday just for couples. And sure, it is for couples, but it is for more than just that. I think Valentine’s Day is a day about celebrating love in any way, shape, or form. It is about celebrating your friendships, familial relationships, and intimate relationships—just a day about love. I was lost on this idea of true love only being something experienced in an intimate relationship for quite some time. That concept has changed for me. There is love all around you and me. It is in the air we breathe, the words you, I, and the world speak. Love is in the grass that grows, the flowers that bloom, and the trees that blow in the wind. 

I have decided to add another thing to my goal list: channel in more love. Talking with my friends and my mom today has made my heart so happy. I am thankful for the love the people in my life always shower me with because I wouldn’t be who I am without it. 

I can’t help to think about those who are single right now, like me. They may feel lonely and sad, especially because this day reminds them of that. I thought I would feel the same way, too, but I feel the exact opposite. I have realized that all the love I need right now is what I already have in my life. Sure, I am open to letting more love in, of course, but I am thankful for what I already got. 

Today is a day I want to remind myself of the relationships I have worked so hard to progress right now and not worry about the relationships I haven’t started yet. Love is not solely based on coming from the option of a lover. Love comes from everything and everywhere. Moving forward, I want to work more on channeling love in the sense of just taking out the time to make sure my friends and family feel loved and supported by me. Love through all the things you do each day. Sometimes I think we focus too much on the things that are going wrong that we forget about the good things that haven’t changed in our lives. 

I will remind myself to tell those that I love them every day. Everyone needs to hear how much they are loved no matter the day.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Raava. May you feel just as loved, appreciated, and full of joy as I feel while writing you this letter.

Yours truly,

Daya