February 2026 "Love in Our Lives" By Daniela Gutierrez

      With Valentine’s Day around the corner, many are scurrying to purchase a gift for their loved ones. Stores are filled with bouquets of roses, chocolate boxes, heart-shaped cookies, and a plethora of teddy bears of all sizes. Little kids are wondering what cards or candies to gift their peers in class, while someone in aisle two cannot decide between red or pink roses. Valentine’s Day is fun for its extravaganza, quirkiness, and anticipation. However, more than a holiday for romantic candlelit dinners, last-minute tangerine chocolate purchases, and far beyond its marketability, Valentine’s Day makes us examine the abstract concept of love in our lives. Grander than purchasing the biggest teddy bear in the store that may or may not equate to the depth and grandiosity of your love for another, Valentine’s Day serves as a reminder to us of what brings love into our lives once the bedazzlement of a singular day passes. Perhaps Valentine’s Day is just another cold winter day in your life, and your only concern is whether you will survive driving in the fog, which is understandable, and yet, I contemplate love’s role in our lives. How do we define love? What brings love into our lives? And what can love teach us? Valentine’s Day will come to pass, every aisle will be emptied, and every rose will be taken. The cold and fog will remain long after this, and yet, love will remain. Because love is more than a bouquet of roses at your porch, a romantic serenade; love is the slightest ray of sunshine peering through your window to warm you. Love is your dog licking your face in bed before even the sunrays get to you. It is the coffee a loved one prepares for you before you face the world, and the moments in between every sip.

     Love cannot be contained within concrete terms nor bound by a holiday. Its subjectivity allows for diversity and vast contexts and narratives. Having this in mind, I asked a few friends and acquaintances about their perceptions of love and how they experience and perceive it in their lives. For some, like my friend, Sam, their partners bring love into their lives. From love, he learned that communication is key. His girlfriend inspires him to be more creative and curious. For others, their friends are a sturdy fountain of happiness, joy, and vulnerability. Mary connected online with other gamers who turned into friends. She has found support in this community through their advice, jokes, and love for games. A singular love for a shared interest can bring people together. Albeit, there exists for Noemi the love she extends to animals whom she cares for and connects with. She perceives them to be kindhearted, and that what you show to them, they will reciprocate. Love for others like Nate and Sasha is the joy and service you bring to those around you. Their perspective of love is firmly rooted in their faith. Sasha feels love when others are joyous, which in turn brings her happiness. She believes it is meant to bring light into people’s lives.

Conclusion:

     This Valentine’s Day, look further than the aisles of chocolate boxes, candy hearts, and corny, manufactured cards. You might be better off asking AI to write a letter for you, or you could consider coming to the Reading and Writing Center for help, but I digress. As the time draws near, examine your heart and life. Ask yourself: what brings love into my life? To feel and experience love in our lives, Cupid’s arrow need not hit us. Our heart is palpitating with every intention to love and to receive it at any moment and any time.