Signed, Sealed and Delivered

Oh my goodness. 💌

It’s Valentine’s season… which means the world will try to convince us that love comes in one shape, one size, and preferably with a dozen roses and a dinner reservation.

But I’ve been painting butterflies and flamingos and mice with heart garlands, and I can confidently say… love is far more creative than that.

These little handmade valentines started as puddles of watercolor on my desk. A pink wash here. A wobbly heart there. A hippo in polka dots because why not? And as I painted each one, I kept thinking about all the ways love shows up in our lives.

I put on a stamp and walked them to the sweetest little post office in Seaside, Florida. The kind of place where people still ride bikes with baskets, where sandy feet shuffle in line, where strangers linger over conversations and coffee like there’s nowhere else they need to be.

I stood there holding my stack of valentines and felt like I was mailing tiny pieces of hope into the world. In that little blue-and-white town, life feels simple. Unrushed. Human. And for a moment, I thought… maybe love is simpler than we make it.

Love is:
– A husband who walks beside you on the beach and thanks you for being you.
– A friend who texts, “Are you okay?” and actually waits for the answer.
– A brand new friendship that feels like you’ve known each other since third grade.
– A group of girlfriends laughing so hard at dinner that the waiter slows down just to eavesdrop.
– A single woman building a life so rich and full that she doesn’t need a plus-one to feel complete.

To my single girlfriends:
You are not “waiting.”
You are living.
You are building.
You are loving and being loved in a hundred meaningful ways every single day. Romantic love is beautiful… but it is not the only proof that your life is full. You are not missing out. You are becoming.

To my married friends (and especially the sweet man I get to do life with):
Thank you for steady love. The kind that cooks the best meals and pits my cherries for me. The kind that fixes things. The kind that says, “I’m with you.” The kind that chooses again and again. There is something sacred about that kind of love — the quiet, faithful, everyday kind.

And here’s something I’ve learned — love isn’t just for the good days.

It’s for the hard days too.

In fact, sometimes people need love most when they deserve it the least. When they’re tired. When they’re sharp. When they’re overwhelmed. When they’ve made a mess of things. Love that only shows up when everything is easy isn’t love. Real love leans in when things are complicated.

And oh… don’t you wish we could all sit down with crayons and construction paper and glue sticks and make little Valentine boxes like we did in first grade? Remember how everyone brought one? And every single classmate dropped something inside? No one was left out. Every box was full by the end of the day.

What if we still lived like that?

What if we handed out encouragement like conversation hearts?
What if we made sure every person in the room felt seen?
What if we lingered a little longer?
What if no one was left out?

In this complicated, loud, divided world…

Love still wins in the small things.

It wins in handwritten notes.
In watercolor valentines.
In checking on a neighbor.
In forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it (including ourselves).
In choosing kindness when sarcasm would be easier.
In making room at the table.

These little paintings aren’t just valentines. They’re reminders.

Love doesn’t have to be dramatic to be powerful.
It doesn’t have to be perfect to be real.
And it doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s to be meaningful.

If you look closely at these cards, they’re imperfect. The lines wobble. The hearts aren’t symmetrical. The flamingos lean a little.

Just like us.

And yet… they’re beautiful.

So this Valentine’s Day, whether you’re celebrating with a husband, a boyfriend, your dog, your girlfriends, your kids, or a quiet night with takeout and a cozy blanket — know this:

You are loved.
You are worthy.
And your capacity to love others is one of the greatest gifts you carry.

Now go mail a card.
Send a text.
Invite a friend to coffee.
Or pull out your crayons and make a construction-paper masterpiece just for the joy of it.

Love is still alive and well.
And sometimes it wears polka dots.