Where would we be without a little love?

Ah, Valentine's Day. Or Single Awareness Day. Or Tod's Birthday (Happy Birthday Little Bro'!!!).

A day by any other name would be filled with just as many sweets.

It's true - I ate Lindt truffles this morning for breakfast. It's funny how we justify eating certain things just because it's a holiday. And what's even funnier is the way people justify it. "Calories don't count on your birthday." I've definitely heard that one every birthday of my adult life. Or "It's a holiday so go ahead and have another piece of pie." Or, "Your celebrating Valentine's Day alone so you deserve Lindt truffles for breakfast."

Well alone or not, I just love Lindt truffles. And thanks to my dear friend Elise, I can now successfully pull the dot out with my teeth without otherwise harming the smooth chocolate ball. Try it and trust me you'll never eat a Lindt truffle the same way again.

Besides all the sweets and the flowers and the cards and the Jimmy Choo shoes (seriously was the gift one of my clients gave his wife for V-day!!!), what is Valentine's day really about? Some would argue it's a fabricated holiday, shaped by Hallmark to feed our overly consumed society.

But, I would argue that Valentine's Day is exactly what it professes to be - a day to celebrate love. I may not be in love at the moment, but I do love a whole lot of people. And just as we celebrate Thanksgiving to remember to be grateful, I think Valentine's day is a great day to remember to be loving.

When I lived at home, my parents bought me a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day. My sister greeted me this morning with a "What's up my Valentine?" Friends have sent me cards and left me little messages. All these things are done in an effort to let me know they love me. Who's my Valentine this year? That's like asking me who do I love this year. And the answer is many, many, many amazing people. I am blessed to have love in my life in so many ways.

Some Valentine's day I'll wake up really early and make heart shaped pancakes for the man of my dreams; and I'll serve them on these darling Valentine's plates that I got on major sale at Kohl's but I've yet to use. I'll serve him breakfast in bed and he'll buy me Jimmy Choo shoes (just kidding about that last part). It will be your picture of perfection romantic Valentine's Day.

But today, I recognize the people in my life that I love dearly (I hope you know who you are) and thank them for loving me unconditionally.

Happy Valentine's Day!