Ah, February—the month of love and romance! While the idea might feel cliché, each year I use this time to turn the spotlight inward, and now that the month is coming to a close, I want to share some of my insights. This isn’t just about roses, chocolates, or candlelit dinners. For me, February is about fear, healing, and ultimately, choosing to love myself in deeper and more meaningful ways.
Let me explain.
You see, fear loves to show up where love is absent. Fear thrives on control, on tightening up, on holding on too tightly. But love? Love leans into freedom. It lets us loosen our grip, breathe deeply, and trust the process.
This shift hasn’t always been easy for me, and it wasn’t something I learned overnight. In fact, I can trace my understanding of fear and love all the way back to an awkward Valentine’s Day in fourth grade—a day that, unbeknownst to me, planted the seeds for a much larger journey of self-discovery.
The Valentine That Wasn't
Do you remember those Valentine’s Days at school? The shoebox-decorating contests? Picking out those colorful cards from the drugstore and writing them out for all your classmates? I loved all of it! But one year, one interaction turned this sweet tradition into a tough life lesson.
That year, I carefully wrote Valentine’s cards for everyone in my class, but when it was time to exchange them, one classmate didn’t give me one back.
Simple, right? She didn’t like me. But at ten years old, I had no idea how to process that. What stung most wasn’t that she didn’t like me—it was the public nature of it all. The teacher got involved, tempers flared, and the next thing I knew, we were sitting in the principal’s office. When we returned to class, her friends glared daggers at me. Suddenly, it became me versus them.
Things like this might seem so small now as adults, but back then? It altered the entire dynamic of fourth grade for me. It became the year of sides, divisions, and unspoken alliances—all while I was already feeling an overwhelming sense of fear and instability at home. That same year, my parents divorced.
Fear, Isolation, and Finding Freedom
Looking back, I realize how those two events—rejection at school and rejection at home—combined to create a crippling sense of isolation. I was scared all the time. I didn’t know how to process those big, scary feelings at such a young age.
Honestly, most of us don’t.
But here’s the thing: our inner child carries those memories, fears, and emotions with us. Even as adults, we’re often still trying to navigate life through the lens of that scared little kid who didn’t get a Valentine or whose family fell apart.
And here’s the hard truth: If we don’t heal the wounds of that inner child, they will continue to show up in our relationships, our behaviors, and the way we view ourselves.
That’s why I firmly believe this: healing our inner child is one of the most important acts of self-love we can ever do.
Let’s Begin Your Healing Journey
If these words resonate with you—if you’ve ever felt like something unresolved from your past might be interfering with your present-day happiness—then I invite you to start your journey toward healing. This April, I’m hosting a transformational retreat in Sedona, Arizona, a place known for its beauty, energy, and ability to inspire deep personal reflection.
This retreat will be a safe space to:
Uncover old patterns or fears that might be holding you back.
Let go of the past and reconnect with your inner child.
Learn how to embrace self-love, freedom, and forgiveness fully.
Give yourself permission to lean into less control and more freedom. Give yourself the gift of love—the purest, deepest love you can offer yourself. Let’s heal together.
As February comes to a close and we head into spring, let’s all make a little more space for love—for others and ourselves. When we embrace it, there’s no telling how much we can transform and bloom.
I can’t wait to see you in Sedona this April. Let’s create something beautiful together. 💖