Valentine’s Day is what I call a hassle holiday. It feels more like an obligation than a celebration. I played the part for many years. I’ve dressed my daughters in Cupid-inspired clothing and pulled creative Valentine cards from Pinterest for them to share with classmates.
Abby Kate is in middle school this year so school parties are a thing of her past and, because of COVID, Lily’s class exchanged virtual valentines. My contribution to the 4th grade special snack in Mrs. Brooks’ room was plastic forks.
The girls have almost outgrown the anticipation of the day, though I expect they will always look forward to a Valentine from their daddy. I know I did.
My daddy bought me a Valentine until I was 29 years old. The last one he mailed to me showed up in a Facebook memory yesterday. It caused me to reconsider my indifference to Valentine’s Day.
I wrote this last year:
(Originally shared to Facebook on February 14, 2020)
My daddy mailed cards to me throughout my college years and into my 20s. Eventually, early on-set Alzheimer’s Disease affected his handwriting and he had to stop. This, he wrote in 2006, was his “last crd” to me. He signed it Mr. Echols, quite possibly because in that moment he had forgotten I was his daughter.
I found his card last night just before I stepped onto our elliptical machine. It was laying on top of a storage tote that holds many other notes, cards and letters. I have not used the elliptical in months, until this week. Somehow, I didn’t see this card when I exercised Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday. I found it Thursday. Valentine’s eve. I don’t think that was by chance or coincidence.
“Lasts” are hard. But my faith gives me a holy confidence that I have not seen my daddy for the last time. He’s waiting on me in Heaven, my forever first Valentine.
Just below this tribute to my daddy was a Facebook memory with a friend. This one, from 2019, made me smile.
(Originally shared to Facebook on February 14, 2019)
When Chick-Fil-A rings the doorbell you wonder, “Is this heaven?” Thank you Matti for our CFA cookiegram. (She got me one too.)
A chocolate chip cookie and plush cow may seem more frivolous than meaningful, but they mattered deeply to me. It was a generous gesture for the three of us because my husband Jeff had left the week prior to begin a 10-month deployment to Afghanistan. Matti wanted to assure us we were loved, and not just by Jeff.
Hebrews 10:24 calls us to show love to one another, cards, cookies and cows optional. The Message translation interprets the verse this way:
“Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out.”
I love that.
Valentine’s Day seems, to me, the opposite of inventive. But it does spark intention. February 14th prompts us to show love with purpose, just like my daddy and Matti did. It also gives us the opportunity to receive love well and with gratitude.
We need more days like that.
Let’s start with February 15th.
“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”
(1 John 3:18)