February carries a strange kind of weight for those loving someone inside. It’s short on days but long on feelings. Love is everywhere, but rarely in the form we’re allowed to hold.

We mark time through stolen phone calls, delayed letters, and vending machine visits instead of dinner reservations. Some of us mail paper hearts. Some of us skip the day entirely.

And while the outside world turns pink and red, many of us are just trying to get through the month without a grievance, without a sudden lockdown, without being forgotten.

If this February held grief (for a visit that didn’t happen, for a parole denial, for another year spent waiting) you’re not alone. That grief is real. If it held: joy, laughter on a video visit, a handmade Valentine, a friend who checked in, that joy matters too.

What’s often unseen is how much effort this kind of love takes. The planning. The budgeting. The emotional restraint. The way we adjust our expectations again and again.

So here’s what we know as the month ends:

• Love inside doesn’t follow a calendar. It stretches across time zones and through static-filled calls.
• Progress doesn’t always look like progress. Sometimes it’s just surviving another week with your connection intact.
• Grief and joy can both live in the same month. The same letter. The same day.

As we head into March, we carry the lessons with us. We remember that love can look like routines, check-ins, and the decision to stay present, even when it’s hard.

You made it through this month. That counts for something.