Love can have different meanings depending on who you ask: There is motherly or fatherly love, there’s the love two longtime friends feel for each other and some even claim to love their pets. But it’s the love felt when stomachs quiver, cheeks flush and hearts pound that we celebrate today. It can begin with a shy glance, a smile, an email or a young love lost that eventually comes full circle.
There is once-in-a-lifetime love – but sometimes people find authentic and true love twice, defying the idea there is just one soulmate for everyone.
Whatever the case, when two hearts join, that initial spark that drew them together can sometimes fade – but when it’s a real life love story, those hearts blow on the embers to create a long-lasting and constant glow.
It takes work, no doubt. There are days of blazing sunshine and days of stormy weather; there are tears of sadness and there is laughter until your sides ache. But in the end – when it’s right – it can be a story for the ages.
The locals in the pages of today’s special Lifestyles section – devoted to Valentine’s Day – prove that love doesn’t just happen in fairytales.
Enjoy.
