Love Is...

“Love is…” ~ Kim Casali

What does love mean to you? What does love look like? Feel like? Act like? What is love?  

When I was a little girl, I found a book titled, “Love Is…”by Kim Grove-Casali. She made the book from a series of love notes to her soon to be husband, Roberto Casali. It was a funny little cartoonish book that had illustrated images of a couple in love doing mostly random acts of kindness for each other. Beginning with the cover which displays the caption, “Love is… what gives you a smile from ear to ear.”

It was a cute little book and yet so influential. I mean, here I am, 40+ years later, writing about this book! For some reason, I was completely intrigued by it. Maybe it was the adorable little cartoon couple who looked so in love or maybe it was the message of how simple love can be. I still don’t know, but it always lifted my spirits and I’ve never forgotten it.

So, although Valentine’s Day is over for this year, let’s not forget that love is something to be expressed daily. No, it doesn’t have to be roses and romance every day but if we are present, aware, and intentional, love can be given and felt in the little acts and simple moments of our lives. So in honor of that idea, I made my own little list. Below are just a few of my beliefs about what “Love Is” for me...

…sharing your favorite foods.

…giving someone your coat when it’s cold out.

…sending a loving message/text, just because.

…hugging tightly.

…warm, like the sun on your face on a bright summer morning.

…a shoulder to cry on.

…being able to have the best conversation without ever saying a word.

…random acts of kindness with no need for reciprocation.

…compassion and caring.

…snuggling in bed on a cold evening. 

…watching something you don’t love, with the one you do love, because they love it.

…laughing together so hard that you cry.

…seeing the beauty in the little things.

…cherishing every moment together and appreciating how bittersweet the passing of it is.

…a soft touch, a kiss on the forehead and a squeeze of the hand.

There are so many more… I could write them forever and I can see why it was easy to write a book (several books actually) and even a comic strip that between Kim and later, cartoonist Bill Asprey, has been in print for decades.

I encourage you to make your own list of what “Love Is” to you and then make it a goal to share that love with the people that matter most to you in your life, each and every day… not just on Valentine’s Day! Here’s to love!

*Want to check out the book for yourself? Although finding an original print (pictured here) would be rare, you can still get books in the “Love Is” series (which would make great little gifts of love) check them out – starting HERE!

*Share your “Love Is” list with me on Social Media. And be sure you’re following me on Facebook and Instagram for more love and wisdom.