It was this time of year, spring 2015, when I led my first community walk as a newly trained Walk2Connect Walking Movement Leader. My son was two years old, and I wanted to host a stroller-friendly fitness walk, so I designed a route around my neighborhood, where contiguous sidewalks and multi-use paths would make it easy for others to join me. Our Boulder Ramblers group started small, but it grew strong. And it all began at a cafe in the Table Mesa Shopping Center.

This week, the store that anchors that shopping center - the store where I have bought my groceries for the past decade, where the familiar faces of the clerks and managers and Starbucks baristas make me feel at home - became the site of violence beyond my comprehension, beyond reason.

We're halfway through February, and while you're reflecting on how fast 2021 is already going, experiencing the mid-winter blahs, or dreaming about life after the pandemic, there's a good chance you're also managing the stress of multiple obligations. This month's banner holiday offers a timely reminder to cultivate love where life feels hard right now. On Valentine's Day, plant the seeds of loving self-care by making a plan to move and connect in the week ahead using these three strategies: a fake commute, a walking reward, or a joyful delivery.