Venus hides in many ways, but in March it hides from view here in the northeast during the morning twilight hour. It will return in late April in the evening sky, a romantic bright evening star for lovers to gaze up to. It makes sense, April is the month for Venus, the beginning of Spring and fertility.

For me, however, I feel like Venus will forever remain hidden. Most people think of the planet when they hear Venus, however, my mind goes to the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

I think I was born a hopeless romantic. I came home from kindergarten announcing I picked the boy to be my husband someday. I kept the valentine from fourth grade that was delivered to my classroom from the fifth grade boy I had a crush on. Its still in a box of memories in the attic. And by sixth grade I had a bad case of puppy love complete with the whole downfall when he chose someone else and every song seemed to take on new meaning.

Elementary school was also when, as someone who loved to read and was interested in ancient history, I couldn’t get enough of the Greek and Roman Gods. The stories, the similarities, how the people built humor and humanity in to their Gods to make sense of their lives. They made them more real, and being more real, they were relatable and approachable to everyone. Maybe not everyone could relate to being born in the ocean, out of a clam shell, after your father, the god of the sky Caelus’ dismembered genitals were thrown into the ocean by his own son Saturn– but the Gods had human qualities good and bad. For example, like Venus, the Greek goddess Aphrodite was as complex as women are . . . she was sweet and golden and desirable, yet could be vengeful. Women turned to her for help with the love lives, finding love, or for fertility issues.

Is Venus still out there listening? Can you still make an offering? Should I gather incense, wine, mint, myrtle, and roses and ask for assistance in love . . . or at least get her son Cupid to stop following me around shooting silver arrows at any male and instead take a golden arrow from his quiver.

I want to be the song stuck in someone’s head. I want to be the kiss that someone can’t resist and doesn’t want to end. I want to be someone’s waking dream that they refuse to let go. And I want to be the storm in someone’s heart that engulfs with its strength, raw beauty, and unexpectedness that you don’t fight but instead settle in at home, warm and cozy, and enjoy.

As Venus hides, so does love. Spring is coming and with it Venus returns in April so this romantic will continue to hope….and write my own love stories.