UPDATE: I figured it out!! So proud of my luddite self right now. Link up your love stories at the end of the post {where it says “click here to enter”} … Please. 

I don’t hate Valentine’s Day. I mean, I’m crafty, what’s not to love when you have the interweb, and by that, I mean Pinterest.

But I don’t really want to talk about Valentine’s Day. At least, not in the way we traditionally do, the way advertisers and manufacturers of chocolate and plastic heart shaped crap want us to engage.

I want to start a movement on this day that talks about real, authentic love, in all it’s raw, powerful, tear stained, sacrificial glory … not that you can’t have that when you are married {I do}, but you can have it when you are not.

Single parents. Special Needs parents. Adoptive parents. Just us regular parents. Single people {as in, not all loved up on somebody and buying chocolate and heart shaped crap}. People who make it their life’s work to rescue women and children from sex trafficking. There’s more. People who would {and do} give their life for another … soldiers, police, firefighters. You name it. {No really, add to my list…}

So, who’s with me? Occupy Valentine’s Day. {Confession: I stole that from someone on FB. Can’t remember who, but it’s genius.}

Start by reading this:

The Best Love Stories, from a dear friend and warrior for her children.

And this:

S.A.D. by a dear friend who loves a myriad of children {and grownups} carried in her heart, if not her … well, you know.

And just go and read this whole blog …. Laura Parker. Read their story and who they are fighting for. And fight with them.

Or check this out … born out of love lost, carried forward by love remembered, honored. LIve Your Love Loud. 

Just a taste of real love.

Now it’s your turn. Please, {I’m really begging, because I want more but I am really tired and this is a good start} tell me your love stories. Link up the ones you find. Shout them from the rooftops. I know there are a million more.  If I can figure out how to do a linky thingamajig, I’ll do my first real life ever blog link-up party. Tomorrow. Really. I’ll do it tomorrow.

And this. THIS. This should move you. Towards Him. Towards others. 

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ~ I John 4:7-9.

I dare you to love like that.

Not just this day. Every day.

~M.

{In the interest of full disclosure, I did buy chocolate AND plastic heart shaped crap … }