Happy Valentine’s Day, the day we celebrate love. The capacity for love is baked right into us — it’s one of the pluses of being human. It’s easy to show love towards our sweeties, our spouses, our children, friends and animals. Often, though, we don’t think to love and celebrate ourselves. So I’m doing it. I’m celebrating you today, but I’m asking you to do it, too. Treat yourself with the same metta, the same loving kindness you show everyone else.

Let there be flowers, let there be hearts, and yes, let there be chocolate (check out my recipes). My valentine to you, though, is to share my favorite poem by the Caribbean Nobelist, Derek Wolcott. Happy Valentine’s Day.

LOVE AFTER LOVE

The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was yourself.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Here are some Valentine’s Day recipes for you and everyone you love:

Tuscan White Beans Winter Greens Soup
French Lentil Salad
Grapefruit and Fennel Salad
Pantescan Pasta
Vegan Red Velvet Cake
Mexican Chocolate Love Bites

Thank you for reading my vegan stories and plant-based recipes. I sincerely love to connect with listeners and would like to hear your feedback, takeaways, “ah-ha!” moments, etc in the comments.

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