This Valentine’s Day, as part of our Love Is Campaign, we are celebrating all the different forms of love we have. From your hobby of journaling, to spending time with your loved ones, the littlest things can be some of our biggest loves. We sat down with Dari Borun, owner of the Instagram legendari_love, to learn what love means to her and her plans for Valentine’s Day.
Fill in the blank: to me, Love Is ___________.
To me, love is gentleness, love is compassion, love is understanding, there is no greater love than the love for my kids. I show love to any child through respecting them as I would respect and treat any adult.
Let us in on your personal love story and the meaning behind what love is to you?
My love story started all the way in Russia when I met my daughter who was born with her heart outside of her chest almost 13 years ago. We think we can love but we will only realize what true love is only when we have kids, when we change our selfish ways for them, changing people around us for them, changing our habits, our time, our plans for them, sacrificing the lastwhat we have so only they could be happy and fed and feel loved and cared for. Virsaviya taught me how to love someone who is different from the ‘norm’.
My love story continued here in Florida also because of my daughter when she introduced me to my husband Ervin Joseph seven years ago. He was a teacher in the same school where Virsaviya started kindergarten and three years later we were married and my heart got bigger and heavier because this love story gave me a great Christmas gift when I met my second baby little Ervin the second.
My love story with my son truly opened my mind and heart to many things as he taught me nearly everything how to be a better mother. He taught me how to breastfeed, how to be compassionate and selfless, and to be patient and respectful to kids. Thislove story with Vin opened attachment parenting and Montessori philosophies for me that I now incorporate into all of my children’s’ lives and work on our relationships all the time.
My love story expanded on December 15th, 2021, when I met my third baby, Ocean. This tiny human opened much more love for me towards my kids while he was still in my womb because I continued to breastfeed my son Vin and as a small child still carried him on me while being pregnant. Existence of little Ocean in my belly motivated me and drove me to move to a bigger house instead of a one-bedroom apartment and to set it all up for my kids. I turned my garage into a Montessori sensory room by myself being pregnant, while having contractions for 40 hours and right after delivery just out of love for my children, to have a dedicated area so we all can play together, connect and learn from each other.
Do you have any cherished Valentine’s Day traditions?
We always celebrate Valentine’s Day and I always give gifts to my husband and my kids as well. Through giving them gifts I want to teach them how to give and receive gifts. I want them to feel loved and appreciated. I usually give gifts to the kids and my husband and I go out ourselves in order to connect and spend time because we don’t get this much for ourselves. This year we won’t be able to because our baby Ocean is too small to stay without me but next year when he will be one years old hopefully we will continue our tradition.
How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day?
This year I will make a Valentine’s Day themed sensory play for my kids and I’m planning to continue this as tradition.
What’s your pick from the Theo Grace Valentine’s Gift Guide and who will you be gifting this Valentine’s Day?
Last year I chose a Theo Grace bracelet for my husband, a leather one with rings with the names of his loved ones. But this year since we had a new little Valentine, Ocean, I chose to give him his personalized name necklace as my two other children also have. It’s a 14k white gold name necklace Ocean with 1 natural diamond. I hope one day I can give myself a gift of a 14k white gold necklace with all the names of my loved ones.
What was one of your favorite gifts you have received?
My best and favorite gifts are those I can give to my children so if I’m able to give this gorgeous necklace to my baby boy this year on Valentine’s Day it will be most precious and memorable gift as he can cherish it when he will get older as Virsaviya and Vin do.
