Valentine's Day lovin'

Valentine's Day is one of those funny holidays that, like a lot of things, seems to be a bit 'controversial' to some people - "you don't need a specific day to tell your partner you love them !!1!" or "it's just capitalist bullshit" or "it was invented by greeting card companies to make money!!!!!1!!1!" and well, that's as may be but the world needs a bit of love right now and if you want to buy your partner or your mates or your mum a box of chocolates and a fluffy teddy bear then why not? If you want to drink homemade cocktails and sprinkle rose petals on your bed, why not?

People are so quick to make everything a big deal, to point out every flaw in every system and while with some things that's important like in politics and institutions, Valentine's Day just isn't that deep. So pour yourself a drink, whack a rom-com on the telly and snuggle up with whoever you love - whether that be in a romantic sense, or whether it's your best friend or your dog or your kid. Soulmates don't just come in the form of whoever you're in love with, they're all around you; they're the people you want in your life, the people you've chosen to spend time with and share your secrets with. I've been thinking a lot about that, lately, and about how you can't really choose your family - you can't choose your flesh and blood and the people you're bound to that way, but you can choose to loosen those ties. You can choose to love your friends, and spend your time with them, and trust them; you can choose them.

Because families aren't perfect, and I think growing up highlights that. As we grow up, things change and honestly, that's okay. People let you down - the people you thought were always going to be there, sometimes aren't; they make excuses and don't try to right their wrongs and sometimes, you have to let it go. Sometimes, you can try and try and still not get anywhere, still be stuck at square one, still be the one with questions and red eyes and half-written texts. And that's where your friends come in - to listen, to be a shoulder to cry on, to offer advice or just get you a pint and give you a hug. Not all problems can be solved, after all.

So, what's the moral of this weird ramble-y blog post, then? Valentine's Day is coming up and in a world that sometimes feels like it's lacking much of anything good, let's spread the luuuuuv. Let's hug our families, stroke some puppies, hold hands with our besties and kiss our partners. Let's love passionately and fiercely and without condition. Let's just love.

Fentimans have created the Rose Spritz for Valentine's Day this year; their Rose Lemonade mixed with prosecco and finished with blueberries and rosemary/thyme. Simple, delicate and absolutely bloody lovely - perfect for the 14th Feb. Happy Valentine's Day, my gorgeous blog-readers; without you I wouldn't still be writing nonsense on this website and for that, I love you.

This is a paid collaboration with Fentimans but as always, all words + opinions are my own.

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