Valentine

It occured to me that the nature of love changes after children.  There are of course many kinds of love, and the kind of love that comes with children isn't always nice.  It's not always lo-ving.  It's not always kind.  Sometimes it's quite fierce, as it is when one's child is threatened.  Sometimes it's bone achingly sad, as when the parent must be seperated from the child.  Sometimes it gladdens the heart, like a kite in the bright blue sky, but never is it carefree.  Never is it without worry, or just an edge of anxiousness... apprehention, vigilance.

The nature of love changes, and the nature of love changes us.  Like balls of twine we are forever bound to our children, like an oyster we ache after the release of a pearl.  We're imprinted with their love, just like our windowpanes with little fingerprints.

Love with our partners changes too, we become less a couple and more a part of a story.  We're the beginning- the "once upon a time," and we are the framework around the young lives which depend on us. 

So this Valentine's Day I'm going to break with tradition and present you this valentine in the shape of a baby.  It's a portrait commission, but I want to use it to wish a happy valentine's day to all the families out there.  Especially those under difficulties or illness, or just those who stress too much out of love for their families.  Love is for lovers, but it's also for families, and I mean families of all variations.
May you feel peace and happiness today.