Someone asked me the other day if Valentine’s Day is my favorite day.  Yes it is, but at the same time every day is Valentine’s Day for me.  It’s not just a day for romantic love, but even school children get excited to share their little cards with their friends.  And maybe if the “Hallmark Holiday” gets people to think about LOVE and it’s iconic symbol (the red heart) even for only one day, then that is better than nothing at all.  However, as we have seen thus far during Guest Blogger Month, there are so many ways in which love is manifested in our world.

We are probably all familiar with the saying “Home is where the heart is” but not everyone can say they actually LIVE that ethos. Today’s guest blogger, Nicola, is a great example of someone who does!  Nicola is a blogger from Wexford, Ireland and is one of the most generous individuals I have had the pleasure of knowing.  And I am not talking about generosity of material things, though she loves to give, I am referring to the open arms of her heart!  So it’s not surprising that same LOVE permeates every corner of her “home”!

When Karen invited guest posts for February with the theme love at the heart of them I went from being awash with ideas to having a completely blank mind back to being awash with ideas again!

So, I asked myself, where is the one and only place that I feel surrounded by love? My home. I don’t mean my physical house, I mean the people I share it with. My family, for wherever we are, when the seven of us are together I am home.

I have always considered myself extremely privileged to be married to my best friend. We have been on so many very personal journeys together. We have shared secrets, we have laughed, we have cried. He is the one who has held my held my hand as we’ve shared silly jokes and held me close as we faced tragedy together. He has been there for the birth of all five of our children, the sheer joy of bringing these new people into the world together is inexplicable. We both fell so in love again with each other and our precious babies.

My children; I am so extremely fortunate to have five fantastic children, five individuals with five very different personalities. My love for my children has no boundaries, it is endless. My heart speaks volumes regarding my children. Sometimes I really feel as though it will explode with pride. It can pound with fear when I am anxious for any of them, constrict with sadness for their troubles and do a little flip when a small hand takes mine and whispers ‘I love you Mama’.  That love a parent feels for their children is phenomenal; there is absolutely nothing in this world to compare to it and we are so privileged to experience it.

When we are all together I am home, within the heart of my family. I feel safe, I feel warm, I feel loved.

Thank YOU Nicola for your support and also for your eternal example of what LOVE is!  Your family is so lucky that you’re the momma anchor.  And even for us on social media you have that nurturing way that helps us all feel like we are tethered together.

If you’d like to learn about all sorts of family, parenting, life style and foodie treasures, check out Nicola’s corner of the internet, Simply Homemade Blog,  or follow her on her social media channels:

Twitter – @SimplyHomemade_
Facebook – SimplyHomemadeIE
Instagram – simplyhomemadenicola
Snapchat – @nicnaes

Home, heart, LOVE,

YDP

P.S. If you’d like to participate in the LOVE story guest blogger series, please leave a comment. Or you can email me at:  [email protected]