I’m here to stand up for the select pleasures of the lonely. The full bed to stretch across, the remorseless expression of one’s body, the savage gnawing on absurd treats at absurd times, the sole mastery of the electronic cornucopia.
I’m also here to cheer for the kind of solitude that will eventually be broken by visits and visitors–the solitude that makes opulent room for the celebration of a friend’s appearance. That’s solitude worth treasuring (I’m sure one of many): the one that makes you more generous, more joyful, and more kind to your friends.
If Valentine’s Day is a marketed, constructed and corporate celebration of those we love, then so be it. I’m of the more is more family of love. Every Valentine’s Day, like most days of my life, I am incredibly grateful for my chosen family, my friends. They are my solace and my anchors and my rays of hope in all seasons and moments, quiet or cheerful. Happy Corporate Sentiment Day, Friends: Thank you so very much for co-sponsoring this life of mine.