I guess I‘m not the biggest fan of Valentine’s Day. I love love in all its forms: the warmth of a partner’s body next to yours, the voice of a true friend asking you how you are, a calm moment of real self-appreciation, the intimate giggles you share with your sister, your mom and dad carefully watching your very first steps to make sure you don‘t hurt yourself…
I don‘t mind celebrating love, quite the opposite actually: it’s the most precious emotion, it should be expressed and taken care of. I‘m just not sure about the 14th of February. Do I want to be in need of a reminder? Do I want another day, that makes me feel obligated to buy or do certain things?
In an ideal world I wanna share love on a daily basis, throw it a party every night just because. No red roses and candlelit dinners, no heart-shaped things – well, not necessarily.
Don’t get me wrong (more or less) – secretly I’m a hopeless romantic, and I’d never judge anyone for fully embracing it as a day of importance (I mean who says no to flowers?) – but it just never really felt like my thing. I can be convinced though and I love to write and receive love letters. So I got inspired to write one. To life. Because of Vday. And because life deserves some love, don‘t you think?
So dear life, you may not always be fair, you’re confusing, can fill our hearts with sorrow and turn things upside down within seconds. You‘re a piece of work, a weirdo full of surprises. But you make us grow – together, on our own and apart. As individuals and as a community. You send us out on a mission through this maze of magnificent alleyways, bumpy roads and undiscovered side streets, want us to find our own special way.
You can be darkness, but also all the colors. You make my soul race and get me high on adrenaline, let me experience all kinds of emotions – and this crazy, crazy lust for you.
I love you, do you know that?
For the opportunity to be kind and loving, for forgiveness and laughter, helping hands and a stranger’s smile. For your insane beauty, for the places you make me see and the people I’ve met through you. For the sound of a beating heart and the air in my lungs.
You are everything; I should tell you that more often.
I want to learn to love you for your flaws as well, always the hardest part of every relationship I guess. Some things are easier to understand in hindsight. So even if I may not always get you right now, I‘ll continue working on that. I promise. As I really hope we‘ll spend some more time together, I‘m sure we‘ll get to know each other even better.
Thank you for everything; I’ll try to never take you for granted.
Yours sincerely, and with a happy heart
All photos ©Tabea Mathern
