Redefining Valentine’s Day
February is often wrapped in roses, reservations, and expectations. For many, Valentine’s Day feels like a reminder of what’s missing—whether you’re single, widowed, healing, or simply in a season of standing on your own. Somewhere along the way, we were taught that love only counts if it comes from someone else.
But what if Valentine’s Day looked different this year? What if it became a love letter to yourself?
A love letter to the reader
If Valentine’s Day feels heavy for you, I want you to know this: you are not lacking. You are not behind. You are not unlovable.
This Valentine’s Day season can be an invitation to reconnect with yourself—to slow down, reflect, and honor where you are right now. Loving yourself can look like being gentle with your thoughts, giving yourself permission to rest, and celebrating how far you’ve come, even if the journey wasn’t perfect.
You don’t need permission to celebrate yourself. You don’t need a reason to feel worthy of love. Sometimes, the most meaningful love is the one you give yourself quietly, consistently, and with intention.
Use this time to check in with yourself. Speak kindly to yourself. Dress up for you. Take yourself out. Write the words you wish someone else would say—and believe them when you read them back.
Love isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we practice. And the most important relationship you will ever have is the one you build with yourself.
How to love yourself
Self-love isn’t loud or performative. It doesn’t always come wrapped in grand gestures. Often, it shows up in small choices—in how you speak to yourself, how you protect your peace, and how you allow yourself to grow without rushing the process.
Loving yourself isn’t selfish—it’s necessary. It’s learning to sit with yourself, honor your journey, and celebrate the version of you that has survived, grown, and kept going even when life felt heavy.
This kind of love doesn’t depend on flowers or a plus-one. It shows up in boundaries. In rest. In forgiveness. In the quiet moments where you choose yourself without apology.
A love letter rooted in memory
February also holds something deeply personal for me—it’s my brother’s birthday.
We often take for granted those childhood moments when siblings are inseparable, when time feels endless and togetherness is effortless. I wish I could return to those days—to being a child again—so I could always be with my brother.
As we grow, life pulls us into separate paths. Distance happens. Silence happens. Unsaid words linger. When we’re young, we’re eager to become adults, to live our own lives. And yet, when we are adults, we long for the simplicity of childhood—when being close to the people we love felt permanent.
No matter the distance. No matter the time apart. My love for you has never changed.
My heart will always beat as if you were my twin—because you are my half. Happy Birthday, Dorian Liriano
Closing thought
This February, whether you’re celebrating love, missing someone, or learning how to love yourself more fully—know that love exists in many forms. And sometimes, the bravest love letter we can write is the one we write to ourselves.
Fashion • Empowerment • Beauty
International Image Consultant | Personal & Fashion Stylist | Professional Makeup Artist
Stay connected with the heartbeat of Miami!
Sign up for Calle Ocho News for more stories celebrating our vibrant culture and community. Get regular updates on what not to miss in Miami, and promote your business with our advertising services at Pressnet Corp.