I am named after Mirabai, an Indian (Rajput) Princess who left her aristocratic life behind to devote her life entirely to worshiping, praising and full-on loving her God, Krishna.

The original Mirabai.

As the story goes, when Mira was an infant, she became enamored with a doll of Krishna and, into her adulthood, she never lost that loving feeling. In fact, as she suffered great losses (both her mother and her husband died in her early twenties), she only let herself fall more deeply into love. She wrote countless songs and poems to her beloved Krishna until the day she died.

Love, conveniently, is actually well suited to that kind of activity. Isn’t that why we say that we’ve fallen when we’re in love? Love is a terribly risky proposition yet, somehow both with and against our Darwinian instincts, we strive for it. We run toward it.

Love begs the bigger, best hunks of ourselves out of the caves of our own version of playing-it-safe reality and reminds us: Falling is okay. Love can catch us.

In honor of this time of year and in honor of my lovely namesake, Mira, the Divine Lover, I’d like to devote this blog to you and to all the reasons that you remind me to keep jumping higher and reaching farther into the land of the loving. I’d like you to know that the way you live is an inspiration and I love you for it. I’d like you to know that I think the work you’re doing is pretty much amazing, unbelievable, special and fucking great. I know your intentions are good. I know your heart is honking and huge. You see, I believe in love. So it’s easy to believe in you, meaning all of you out there, who I love so much.

Cupid's got needs too, don't discriminate in this world.

Why do I love you? Let me count the ways:

1. You read AltDaily every day. Twice.
2. You want to connect to people that live around you, and you try, really hard, to do good things for your community.  Even if you sometimes feel like you can barely do enough good things for yourself.
3. You had your heart broken and you experienced some heavy, shitty loss, but you have made it, anyway. And you haven’t given up on love. I know you know that.
4. You fell in love. In the first place. For real.
5. You finally, actually wrote a bucket list. Because, shit, what else was there to do?
6. You lost your job.
7. You had to finally give up a fight.
8. You made a promise and a commitment. And you will keep it.
9. Things fell apart.
10. You got your shit together.
11. You didn’t laugh at me when I fell (again) outside of my building (WTF, BTW! Are my legs made of jello?)
12. You sent me flowers. (Twice)
13. You don’t mind that I cuss.
14. You rescued an animal.
15. You learned to dance.
16. You left that crazy waitress a big tip, just because you said: “She’s crazy! She can’t help it!”
17. You broke your foot. Dancing.
18. You repaired my cracked windshield in ten minutes after telling me I sounded like a bitch on the phone and you were right. I can be a real bitch. On the phone!!!
19. You are my mother.
20. You are marrying my father.
21. You’re going to be an amazing father.
22. You still tell me I’m your little girl.
23. You forgave that douche who let you down.
24. You came to our Love for Haiti event.
25. You’re actually just really cute. (Adorable, even!)
26. You told me I was your favorite.
27. You showed up when you said you would.
28. You stopped just going with the status quo.
29. You meant it when you said I love you.

Love is the most simple thing, eh? (Photo | Raphael Perez)

I know you’ve done all sorts of other fascinating things and I know that you’ll keep keeping on. I know it doesn’t seem like it really ever gets easier and I realize that can feel like a real motherfucker sometimes, but I see you smearing your sparkle onto your smile and I know that you have faith.

You see, I’m like a tiny, baby Mirabai and you are my Krishna babydoll and I am over here staring at you, smitten because I know: My life will always be bigger, better, braver and more alive as long as I.Love.You.

And I do. Happy Valentine’s Day little nuggets. Go out and get your swerve and your snuggle on. Kiss kiss. XOXO.