Today is one of the great clichés. And as with most clichés, there’s a reason for its existence. We do love and we love passionately. And without love we would be nothing. But our love isn’t wrapped up in hearts and bows and frills. It’s everywhere. All around us. To celebrate the blessed omnipresence of love, I’ve taken a quick trip through the past few months, revisiting things I felt compelled to photograph. In every case, as banal as something seemed, there was Love behind my motivation for photographing it. Love and memory and personal meaning.
To the sensual. The hint of a smile. The beginning of a Yes:
To a humble chair inviting you to sit and meditate over a coffee or a mood:
To the red tights on the man in one of my favorite paintings:
To all the children in our lives:
To the game of love, which requires skill, stillness, thought. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose; but we stay in the game:
To wine and chocolate, which remind us that love is in the full, celebratory use of our senses:
To the animals we love and who love us more:
To the simple overlooked things that serve small purposes:
To the everyday, mistreated objects that contain our lives:
To those things that could speak entire novels of our past, encountered by chance, miles and oceans away from where we first knew them:
To the escape routes, the ways out, the adventures waiting to happen, the places yet to go and see:
To the patterns that repeat. Warmth through the generations. A visual reminder of a blanket knitted by my mother:
To the women we come from, the ones that loved us no matter what, the elders, the wise ones, the ones we can only remember from the photographs we keep. Shrines:
To the color that contains it all, the lifeblood, the love:
The Daily Cure 
Oh Charlotte! Thank you for this glorious post that is so full of life, love and passion. Your beautiful eye for the visual and simplicity and sensuality of words. Love to you!
Thank you Saga! Had to do something besides hearts!!
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Not to be a yenta or anything but there’s a small typo in the line “To all the children in our live.” That should be “lives,” not “live.” Great post, by the way.
I know! Thank you for reminding me to fix it!
My Heavens! This is just wonderful, stunning and gorgeous all wrapped up in the color red!!!
Happy Valentine’s Day my dear friend!
Thank you Linda, happy Valentine’s Day to you too. Curious what you and Terry are up to today. Anything special?
Nothing today really. We had a late night last night, as we went to Blade’s game and got home at mid-night. We will check cows, haul wood, clean the fireplace…just stuff!
sounds like the best stuff. after I asked I read your post…and realized that the routine is essential. your valentines was going through that routine together. what’s better than that?
Red may not be my favourite colour but each image appearing on the scroll brought forth thoughts and memories and dreams and wishes in the most evocative way . . . thank you for the encouragement to feel warm and dreamy and fond and in love . . .
Red is not my favorite color either. I never wore it. In fact, I avoided it. But I have “discovered” it for myself in the past two or three years. I admire its strength, I guess you could say. Its decisiveness.
Reading your post early this morning, before the sun came up, made me feel warm and fuzzy. Now it is evening and I still have the same feelings when rereading your post , thank you.
Thank you Gerlinde! I’m so glad.
Such a lovely, clever way to express Valentines Day. I’m wearing an old red sweater right now. I have also begun to wear it the last few years. Like I had to grow into it. Or my confidence did:)
cheers… wendy
totally agree…I’ve had to grow into it to. Now I love wearing it. So very odd.