In Our Elements
February 2026 — Love (Not the Hallmark Kind)
February is pretty in our face about love. And while I went through my rebellious “f- hallmark” phase, i’m realizing now that we actually get to decide what these hallmark holidays mean to us.
They don’t have to be about capitalism or buying things. They don’t have to center the same traditional, cis-hetero relationships we see everywhere.
What if love looked different?
What if was about loving ourselves;
loving peacefully;
loving quietly;
Loving our family, our children, our home – our anything.
What if we simply chose love over fear?
ELEMENTAL MOMENT
The Silence
The room was quiet.
And if you’ve ever worked with kids, you know quiet is rare. Sometimes quiet at home means someone is definitely up to something and probably needs checking on. But this quiet was different. It was just… quiet.
One child was drawing.
Two were playing a math game.
One was sketching coding ideas on graph paper.
One was swinging in a sensory swing.
Two were reading on the cozy couch.
And they were all quiet. At the same time.
In that moment—looking around, noticing, really taking it in—that was love.
We hadn’t asked them to be quiet. We hadn’t expected silence. But their quiet was a reminder: love kids for who they are. Love isn’t always loud or performative or in your face.
Sometimes love looks like slowing down.
Trusting kids.
Choosing connection.
Making space for feelings.
And sometimes, love looks like not grabbing your phone the second you’re given a minute of quiet—but choosing instead to stay present in that moment.
RESOURCE REVIEW
Love as Action
Have you heard about the Monks walking for peace from Texas to D.C.?
This feels like such a powerful example of love as action. Love as choosing peace in fearful times. Love that’s embodied—not loud.
This months resource review isn’t the typical style where I share a book, pull quotes, or connect it to child development milestones. But I believe spreading stories like this matters just as much.
If it helps spread love, peace, and awareness of the good that is happening in the world right now—that’s love, too.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Love as ritual, pause, and warmth.
This month, we want to spotlight Coffee Break Cafe — not just because the coffee is good (it is), but because spaces like this give us somewhere to land. A warm cup. A familiar face. A moment to pause. Especially in winter, that kind of care matters.
I’ve been going to CBC for about as long as I’ve lived in Quincy. Locations have changed (we can relate). Employees come and go (also relatable). What’s stayed the same is the warmth, comfort, and quality that — at least in my opinion — is unmatched anywhere.
And whatever brings you love through ritual, pause, or warmth, I hope you let yourself enjoy it.
(And support local whenever possible.)
FROM THE FOUNDER
In these quieter months, I’m really feeling how much people are carrying.
The snow we got recently made me notice how nice it felt to be home—an invitation to cozy in. And at the same time, it reminded me how much I crave community. I found myself wishing my kids were outside sledding with friends or building snow tunnels with neighbors. And I imagine I’m not the only one feeling that way—surrounded by people, yet still feeling alone.
My neighborhood is nice. We moved here for its reputation as being “family-friendly”—the kind of place where you send your kids outside and they make friends. But that just hasn’t been our experience… and we’ve lived here for 14 years.
So I find myself craving more connection. And also feeling deeply grateful for you—for the people who read this and feel like community to me in a real way.
Lately, nostalgia keeps bringing me back to Mr. Rogers. And Lady Gaga’s rendition of Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is breathtakingly beautiful.
So I’ll just say it—this is me, in a season of owning my social awkwardness:
Won’t you be my neighbor?
Even if we’re not geographically neighbors, it feels like we’re sharing something special here.