I don't know why Saint Valentine was given that name; perhaps it's because LOVE requires COURAGE—the courage to venture beyond what we know, beyond our beliefs about love, about what a couple, a friendship, a mother, or a child should be.

When you LOVE the form that life offers you, it’s just a story, just a vessel—even if we insist that the vessel is love itself, which is fine, but it simply hurts.

Can you imagine what it would be like to love each other unconditionally? To love each other without needing anything in return? To the dichotomous mind, this is a contradiction and/or a utopia.

For the heart, it is a mystery that expresses itself only in the "Now" through your feelings; it is your natural state of joy; it is presence.

And from here, I can't help but imagine what a typical conversation might be like between many couples as they get to know each other, fall in love, and express themselves.

And then there are these three, which I call "Sleeping Fear-Love," "Conscious Fear-Love," and "Love-Love."

We all embody all three in some way; sometimes we go through all three states in a single day, and none of the three is better than the others, since “Love-Fear” is also an expression of “Love-Love”—it’s just that it’s still hidden from your view.

*** A typical Valentine's Day conversation from a sleeping Amormiedo

– Do you love me?

– I love you

– Will you always love me?

– Of course, sweetheart, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me.

– And will you still care for me when I’m lost? Will you still love me when I grumble and complain about everything? Will you still stay with me when I’m no longer the person I am now?

– Yeah, but be nice to me like you always are

(…)

*** A typical Valentine's Day conversation from a self-aware "Amormiedo"

– I love you

– I love you

– I'm afraid I'll stop loving you

– I'm afraid you'll stop loving me

– I feel confused. And I love you.

– I feel insecure. And I love you.

– I want to embrace the confusion. I want to love you; I want to love myself.

– I want to embrace insecurity. I want to love you; I want to love myself.

– Thank you for showing me my belief in confusion. Learning to love myself.

– Thank you for helping me see my own insecurity. I'm learning to love myself.

(…)

*** Just another conversation on just another day at AmorAmor

– Thank you

– Why?

– I don't know

– Thank you

– Why?

– Because I didn't know

(…)