I somehow found myself standing in the greeting card aisle the other day.

I was surrounded by an ongoing display of crimson envelopes and plush teddy bears holding satin hearts and I love you notes.

It was such a stark contrast between those vibrant red inks and the gray, winter sky that was peering through the storefront windows.

The calendar has flipped to February.

Yet even before then, it seemed as if the world had suddenly gone from discounts on leftover Christmas merchandise to a very specific, aggressive shade of pink.

Yes, it is that time of year again. The time when heart-shaped boxes begin their annual takeover of the grocery aisles.

We are inundated with jewelry commercials that promise how true love is measured only in carats or the depths of dinner reservations.

Today is Valentine’s Day.

A date on the calendar that seems to demand a certain level of performance from us all.

And yet, for many people, the arrival of this day never brings that feeling of excitement or the anticipation of a candlelit dinner waiting in our future.

For some of us, the 14th of February is a day which casts a quiet darkness we keep to ourselves.

It is simply a reminder of a chair left empty.

Or perhaps a reminder of a life that feels more as if it is a lonely, solitary walk than a shared journey with another.

We are often told how this is the day that should be spent with our “significant other,” a term I have never really cared for.

It somehow makes those of us who do not have one feel less significant in the overall picture of life.

The expectations we once had now turn into a quiet depression.

Every Valentine’s Day, it is as if the world seems to contract down to pairs, leaving those who are walking alone feel as though they are standing on the outside looking in.

It is as though they are staring at a party they were never even invited to attend.

As I stood there among the rows of hearts and glitter and lace, I realized something about how we define love … at least how most of us define it.

We have narrowed its definition to fit inside a florist’s box or a diamond bracelet.

We have conditioned ourselves to believe that Valentine’s Day belongs exclusively to the sweethearts and the newly enamored.

I believe the time has come that we reclaim this day for the rest of us.

Love has never been one singular, romantic event.

It is more of a tapestry that is woven from a thousand different threads.

Many of which are right in front of us.

If only we took a moment to see them.

Some of the deepest, most resilient love we will ever know doesn’t comes wrapped in a bow or served by candlelight.

It is found in the sticky, chocolate-smudged handprints of a grandchild who thinks you are absolutely amazing.

Some of the strongest love we will ever experience is in the profound, holy kind of a parent who has remained by your side through it all.

Perhaps the valentine in your life is not your spouse, your fiancee or your “significant other,” but rather, the sibling who calls you every Tuesday just to hear your voice.

Perhaps it is the neighbor who shovels your sidewalk without being asked.

Maybe it is that lifelong friend who knows exactly how you take your coffee and completely understands why you might be feeling a little bit lost today of all days.

We tend to overlook these everyday valentines.

Why?

Because they do not fit the cinematic narrative.

They aren’t the love story to end all love stories.

We focus so much on a romantic grand gesture that we forget the beauty that can be found in the consistent one.

A son who remembers a particular story from his childhood that makes you laugh until you can’t breathe every time he retells it.

The ones who see us at our most unpolished or our most vulnerable and choose to stay beside us anyway.

Our four-legged best friend who is always overjoyed to receive a fraction of our time.

Yes, I would much rather have many small, significant routine moments spent with the people I adore than one stand-out gesture that will only be a memory tomorrow.

So, if today feels lonely, understand that I see you.

In fact, I truly believe you are seen by many.

Your ability to give and receive love?

It is not on hold just because there may not be a diamond ring, a box of chocolates or a fancy restaurant involved.

We all need to remember that being unattached does not mean we are unloved.

No, the value of our hearts is never determined by whether or not someone is handing us a dozen roses or a small square velvet box.

So, rather than feeling a void every time you glance across the table at that empty seat, try looking at the crowded corners of your life instead.

Your parents, your siblings, your children, your grandchildren, your friends … that, too, is love.

Not the cinematic kind … but better.

You see, love is a broad, messy, beautiful range of things. Love is found in phone calls. Love is found in those shared memories. Love lies in the simple kindnesses others do for us and the ones we do for others.

And that, my friends, is a Valentine’s Day that belongs to each and every single one of us.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

(Stenger is the community editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times. She can be contacted at jstenger@heraldstaronline.com.)