love and pain.

It's Valentines Day and Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent). Rough combination at first glance. 

But, wow, are love and pain much more intertwined than we sometimes want to admit... 

Can love exist without the risk of pain? 
Without pain? 

I don't know. 

Can pain exist without the risk of love?
Without love? 

I don't know. 

I do know that from dust we've come and to dust we will return is a pretty true statement no matter your belief system. And it's that very truth that makes love all the more valuable and astounding and worth appreciating. 

I hope you can appreciate love today. And ashes.