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The Month of February

LOVE, REVISITED.

by Svetlana Kogan, M.D. IFMCP
he the absence of genuine listening. Sometimes,
month of the missing piece is compromise, empathy,
T February or emotional presence. A partner is not a
has always evoked machine that can be switched off when
images of something feels uncomfortable. Relationships
Valentine’s Day demand engagement, even when it is difficult.
celebrations. And Modern life further complicates this
what better time to connection. Our attention is fragmented by
ponder the concept emails, news cycles, phone calls, and constant
of love if not on Valentine’s Day? Yet, digital communication. We are perpetually
perhaps the most meaningful time to reflect on love is not tied to stimulated, yet often emotionally unavailable. In this environment,
a date on the calendar, but to the present moment. Love is not an loved ones can become background figures rather than central
abstract idea reserved for special occasions—it is something we are priorities. The essential question becomes: where do our closest
invited to examine continuously, right now. relationships fit into our daily lives? How do we preserve a family
One of the clearest places to explore love is within family nucleus—a place that truly feels like home?
life. For many couples, daily routines have long shaped how love These questions are neither dramatic nor abstract. They are quiet,
is expressed and experienced. Husbands and wives often fall persistent, and profoundly important. Love is not sustained by grand
into predictable patterns: waking early, getting children ready gestures alone, but by presence, attention, and intentional care. It
for school, heading off to work, spending long hours apart, and requires us to slow down enough to notice one another—to listen
returning home at the end of the day with a sense of longing for without distraction, to speak honestly, and to sit in silence without
connection. Over time, the brain learns to divide life into two discomfort.
distinct worlds—the professional world and the home world. At its core, love asks us to return to what matters most. Careers,
We dress for work and adapt ourselves to external expectations, entertainment, and social obligations have their place, but they
while home becomes the space to relax, cook, rest, and recover. In should not overshadow the relationships that ground us. Our
many ways, we have delegated much of our children’s upbringing to senses—sight, sound, touch, and presence—are designed to connect
schools, extracurricular activities, and structured schedules. While us to those closest to us, reminding us that meaning is often found
this division of roles allows for productivity and independence, it not in motion, but in stillness.
can also create emotional distance within the family unit. February offers a symbolic invitation to revisit these truths. It is
When routines shift and life slows down, couples often find an opportunity to express gratitude for the people we share our lives
themselves spending significantly more time together than they with—not because circumstances force us together, but because we
once did. This can be both illuminating and uncomfortable. Many consciously choose one another day after day. Love is not something
retirees, for example, discover this transition firsthand when work to be assumed or postponed; it is something to be discovered
no longer structures their days. Suddenly, partners are face-to-face repeatedly, in every season of life.
from morning until night. Privacy becomes limited, especially in In that discovery, we may find that love is both simpler and more
smaller living spaces, and the opportunity to avoid one another demanding than we imagined. It asks only that we show up, fully
disappears. present, with open eyes and an open heart.
These moments invite something deeper: self-reflection.
When external distractions fade, we are gently—but firmly—
asked to look at the person beside us and consider what truly exists
between us. We are prompted to ask ourselves questions we may
have avoided for years. How do I actually feel toward this person I
promised to love? What sustains our relationship?
What has quietly eroded over time?
For some, love falters due to a lack of patience. For others, it is

The author of ‘Diet Slave No More!’, Svetlana Kogan, M.D. IFMCP is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine,
Holistic & Functional Medical Doctor with 25 years of experience.
Her website is CustomLongevity.com Office Phone: 239-676-6883

3232 www.LifeInNaples.net