Celebrating My People

It's Valentine's Day.

I'm home alone, likely until Monday. 

It's been snowing off and on most of the day.

Not what most girls would want their Valentine's to look like, to say the least.

And I'll be honest, I was feeling sorry for myself earlier. I think that's kind of easy for single girls on a day like today. I really long for a boyfriend/relationship, but I've been praying for God to help me become content with my singleness, so there have just been a lot of emotions running through me since I don't have anything to do but think.

So I kept thinking. And then I realized that I already have so much love in my life. And that makes me a very happy, very blessed girl. And that's a reason to celebrate.

These are just some of the people who never let me go even one second of one day without knowing that they love me and would do anything to help me. They lift me out of the darkness when I start slipping. They pull me back to reality. They make me feel beautiful, special, and one-of-a-kind important. They never let my insecurities scare them, frequently reminding me that they are just as thankful for me as I am for them. When I reflect on how much love there is between us, my heart feels like it could explode with joy.

And that was when I realized just how silly I was being feeling sorry for myself for still being single. Love is love, y'all. And it should all be celebrated and appreciated. So what's a celebration without a couple cheesy Disney quotes?

I can't imagine my life without any of those eight people in that collage in it, and I don't want to have to. They volunteered to get on a roller coaster with me and haven't stepped off once. I would not be me today without them, I know that much, because my friendships with them and the way they love me has molded me and changed me in ways I didn't know I needed before it happened. I wouldn't want to go through this crazy messed up life without them and their faithful love and support.

NYC is my home, yes, because it's where I live, but just like I said when I wrote about my soccer boys, each of those people holds a piece of my heart. I could be anywhere with them doing anything and it be the best feeling in the world because they are there. There's safety and security and a sense of peace you can only find when you're with people who know you deeply. It's like how I felt at peace as soon as I walked into the classroom with my Reformation brothers; nothing needs to be said or done, I can just immediately relax when I'm with them because I know it's okay to be me completely. And that's a really beautiful thing.

So today, I celebrate the love I have with my people. Because they're home to me.