February is of course dominated by Valentine’s Day, and can engender feelings of positivity, negativity, neutrality, or a combination of any or all of the above depending on each person’s unique life experiences. Like any holiday or special life event, we can carry forward what speaks to us from established traditions, create our own new celebratory rituals, and kindly let go of the rest. 

Gift-giving is naturally a part of this highly commercialized holiday, but it doesn’t have to break your budget or sustainability goals if you choose to participate. A few relatively inexpensive, more eco-friendly, less cluttering, and relatively easy to find locally made and/or sold gift ideas include: a Fair Trade chocolate bar, organic fruit styled in a secondhand basket, high-end coffee and teas, artisan bars of soap, flowers and plants presented in thrifted vases or pitchers, a vintage dress or sweater, high-quality stationary or cards, a dinner and a movie or concert date night, a nature hike day date, or an offer to cook a fancy at-home meal or clean the house. And remember, these are all gifts we can give to ourselves, children, friends, and family members, too, and at any time of the year; there is no requirement to be romantically partnered to partake in Valentine’s Day or to only give tokens of love or acts of service to your home, yourself, or loved ones on red-letter days. 

On the contrary, I believe that in these times of heightened uncertainty and despair for many, it can be an act of resilience to resist the urge to give into cynicism about love of all kinds–platonic, familial, romantic, for the Earth–and instead consciously create conditions for magic, awe, wonder, light, and love to enter our lives and improve our world one kindness at a time.