Love Needs No Defence: Happy Valentine's Day, Calgary

Whether it's romantic love, parental love, the love shared between two friends, or even the love of the city we all share, the love we celebrate on Valentine's Day is a great reminder of what family and community can mean.

I'm not saying chocolates and heart-shaped cards are necessarily essential to the strength of Calgary's communities, but they definitely don't hurt. And setting aside a day to acknowledge those that we love and all the good feelings we share can't be a bad thing, either.

The news is full of headlines about the crimes that occur in Calgary, the dangers that face Calgary's citizens, and impending doom from all over the globe. While it's important to be aware of the problems that exist, it's the first step towards solving them, all of this gloom can become downright depressing when the fact is there's plenty to celebrate.

I like to use Valentine's Day as a time to consciously remember and acknowledge all of the good that exists in our city, and all of the positive people I get to interact with in my work as a defence lawyer.

I do what I do because I know everyone is someone's loved one, and everyone deserves a chance to have a life as full of love and opportunity as possible. If I can help the people of Calgary see a bit more of that through zealous legal representation, I think I'll have a life well spent.

And I'll definitely enjoy my Valentine's Day that much more.