Who Do You Love?

With Valentine's Day rapidly approaching, I'm thinking about the people I love.  What is it about them  that makes them so irreplaceable, so darned amazing? Why are they my beloved?

LOVE

I love my daughter, because she is different and beautiful, because she challenges me constantly to escape my own mind's limitations and to broaden myself beyond my comfort zone and to embrace the often unnoticed beauty that surrounds us all.

I love my son because he's cute, period.

I love my folks so much, not just because I should, but because they are there for me and they love me, no matter what.  Hey, they gave me my life, which I also happen to love, come rain or shine.  

I adore my siblings.  They've known me my entire life and like me anyhow.

I cherish my precious, darling girlfriends because they are amazing and they simply make the world go round and round and round.   My guy friends are rather incredible as well.

I love my dogs for adding humor to my day and forcing me to exercise.  That's it.  Otherwise they can go F themselves.

I love my kid's teachers for being patient and giving with them.

I love the father of my children for turning me into a mother, which is something I always wanted to be and for that I am eternally grateful.

I love my cousin Mike for wiggling his way into my life when I tried very hard to close the doors to myself and keep people out, because I wanted to spare them the turmoil that felt overwhelming inside.

I love my nieces and nephews for looking blindly up to me, when I'm not at all sure I deserve it.

I love my friend Kurt for writing a song to go with my unreadable novel.

I still have a place in my heart for my first boyfriend.  I'm thankful for all he taught me, for what we learned together about love.  I was lucky in my apprenticeship.

And... I love my last boyfriend. I'm glad for all the things that went right, wrong, up, down, for all of it.

And then there is you, if you are reading this, whoever you are, I probably love you for some reason.  I find a reason to love most everyone, because I believe we are all in some way lovable.  So, if you're in need, I'll be your Valentine...  (literally)