Today’s blog post is pretty straightforward. With Valentine’s Day on Friday, I thought it would be fun to share a few quotes about love.

“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.”

Mother Teresa

Now before you move on from this post because you’re not into all the forced, commercialized romance of Valentine’s Day, let me just say that I selected a variety of quotes about love, not just romantic ones. I mean, yes, Valentine’s Day is all about romance, but love isn’t limited to the “I’m falling in love with you” experience.

There’s the love between friends. There’s the love between parents and children. There’s the love we have for people we admire – mentors and teachers. And yes, I’m going to say it, we love our pets, too.

“Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life.”

Leo Buscaglia

Sometimes we finding ourselves loving the most unexpected people … and we find ourselves struggling to love the people we’re supposed to love. Sometimes … sometimes it takes us the longest to love ourselves.

Loving others and being loved changes us. It’s risky … but choosing not to love others limits our ability to grow into our truest selves.

“I have found the one whom my soul loves.”

Song of Solomon 3:4

Love is a distinct form of bravery. It’s accepting someone else for who they are, with no assurance of receiving the same. Love is giving, without waiting to see if someone else is going to respond in kind.

So yes, today’s blog post was prompted because Valentine’s Day is on Friday. But really, when you think about it, love is a choice we make every day, isn’t it?

“The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love.”

Henry Miller