Dear admirers and lovers from near and far, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and love is in the air. Throughout the years, we have seen so many different forms of love displayed in the media, movies and TV shows, and we’ve seen a shift in recent years in what we deem to be our own love languages and symbols. Everyone should be afforded the right to love whomever they want. Even the Constitution itself gives us the unalienable right for the pursuit of happiness and happiness with one another.

Love can be whatever you decide it is, as there are all forms of love we are exposed to every day: love for family, friends, pets, peers and mentors. We appreciate each other, and for this Valentine’s Day, appreciation and matters of the heart shouldn’t just be confined to heterosexual couples; they should be for everyone. Instead of indulging in cheap chocolates and fake roses, we should spread as much warmth as we can and spend quality time together. Giving love is 100 percent free.

We hope this Valentine’s Day, we can create a space for all people to display and express their love without judgment or fear of retaliation. In 2020, it should be unacceptable to shame anybody for working towards their passions or opening their minds and hearts to all the possibilities that are out there. At Tualatin High School, we have watched the growth of relationships and friendships grow and flourish, and this school should be a sanctuary for all things joyful.

In the wise words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” We cannot work towards acceptance if we do not have a basis of love and compassion for one another. For as different as we are, we are the same in our search for love. Valentine’s Day is what you make of it, and we hope that you are showered with love, appreciation and those adorable heart candies. A little dark chocolate never hurt anyone and however you say it, we are sending you our love this Valentine’s Day!