Valentine’s Day used to mean something different to me.

Now, it’s a day that gently, and sometimes painfully, reminds me of my son Eric, who died 10 years ago on February 27, 2016. I am reminded of the love that didn’t end when his life did. The way grief has permanently changed my heart.

If you are part of the EricsHouse community, chances are Valentine’s Day feels complicated for you, too. When you’ve lost someone dear to you, days centered on love don’t feel light or simple. They can feel heavy. Tender. Even isolating. The world seems to celebrate love loudly, while our love carries a quiet ache.

I’ve learned that grief isn’t something to “get over.” It’s something we learn to live with. It shows up on holidays, birthdays, and ordinary days we never expected to hurt. Valentine’s Day can be especially hard because it reminds us of the love we still have for our loved ones—and the absence that now lives alongside it.

If Valentine’s Day feels heavy for you, please know this: there is nothing wrong with you.

You don’t have to celebrate. You don’t have to smile your way through it. You don’t have to explain why your heart hurts more today than yesterday. At EricsHouse, we understand that grief doesn’t follow a calendar—and neither does love.  Remember that love doesn’t end with death. It changes shape, but it remains powerful, real, and enduring.

I also want to remind you of something we say often at EricsHouse: grief is love. The pain you feel today exists because your love was, and continues to be, so deep. That love matters. Your loved one matters. Your story matters.

If you can, be gentle with yourself. Maybe that means lighting a candle. Telling stories. Saying their name. Sitting quietly with a memory. Or simply allowing yourself to feel whatever comes without judgment. 

This Valentine’s Day, my hope for you is not that the pain disappears, but that you feel understood. That you remember your love still counts. And that even in the midst of grief, your heart is still capable of holding meaning, connection, and hope.