Despite a long, cold winter, February brings us one step closer to spring. It has also long been celebrated as a month of romance, marked by Valentine’s Day, a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. But how do we hold on to hope and love when the days remain dark, the cold lingers, the rhetoric in our country turns harsh, and people are being harmed?

When the world feels as though it’s tilting toward cruelty, hopelessness can creep in. Yet holding on to hope and love does not mean denying reality; it means refusing to let destructive forces determine who we become. Valentine’s Day can be more than a celebration of romantic love. It can be a moment to remember what—and whom—we stand for.

While flowers and chocolates are delightful, love is commitment. Love as protection: of truth, of vulnerable people, of democratic ideals. Love as loyalty: to friends, chosen family, and communities under attack. Love as courage: the choice to remain tender in a culture that too often rewards cruelty.

This February, stand up for your love of family, friends, community, country, democracy, nature, and the beauty of our world. Choose beauty and truth as daily acts of resistance.

Happy February!