Love yourself.

The title of this photograph is Reunion Carnation by Christopher Gruver.

It’s one of my favorite photographs. The delicate texture of the flower petals, the vibrancy of the color, and the contrast of the bright flower against the black make my heart sing. I’m also touched by the broken-ness of the heart and it’s yearning to be reunited.

The yearning of which I speak is the yearning to be reunited with our beloved. Yet our beloved, ourself, and love are all one. We yearn to feel whole and complete, but this is only an illusion; we are already that.

And the only way we can begin to accomplish this is by acknowledging our broken-open hearts.

I encourage you to feel this broken-open-ness today for at least a few minutes to get in touch with this quintessential, exquisite yearning.

Be your own Valentine this year. LOVE YOURSELF.