Valentine's Day Appreciation
That Special Day
After the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, January can be dull. The weather outside is cold and the daylight hours are short. The landscape is covered with snow or a dull brown. Valentine's Day is a welcome season in February.
The store shelves are stocked with Christmas items many months before Christmas Day. When Christmas is over, the Christmas sales have ended, the red hearts and stuffed animals appear on the store shelves in bright shades of red and pink adding color to our lives!
Growing up, I loved Valentine's Day. Looking forward to a day filled with romance and love was exciting! Exchanging silly Valentine's Day cards with classmates kept the day interesting. Who would give me a card? Who would I share a card with? Most of the time everyone received several of these cards. Those little packages weren't expensive! Today, there are all types of themed and inexpensive Valentine cards for kids to share with their classmates. I recently picked up a package of dinosaur cards for my three year old grandson. They were shiny and three dimensional.
My View of the Big Day Has Changed
Over the years my view of Valentine's Day has changed. Yes, I love to see the Valentine gifts on the shelves of the local stores and I love the fun of the day, but is that all there is? No. Valentine's Day should be scheduled throughout the year!
After forty four years of marriage, I believe that showing appreciation and love to one's spouse needs to happen all year long! Special days and dates need to be scheduled throughout the year. Isn't that what keeps a marriage together through the struggles of life.? We need to hear terms of endearment and be appreciated and affirmed throughout the year! My husband is even better at demonstrating love than I am. It's not about spending a lot of money, but instead finding little ways throughout the year to show appreciation and love for the other person. A thoughtful gesture or gift goes a long way in a marriage!
Appreciating Those Around You
Showing appreciation to others in your family and circle of friends is important. Extend the appreciation to those you work with and even to those you see regularly behind the counter in your local store. Letting them know how important they are to you builds relationship. It can make the difference in an individual's outlook on life. It can change their day and make them feel good about themselves and what they are doing.
My challenge to you today is to thank, praise, or encourage someone TODAY! Use a kind word, buy a card or share a smile. Be creative! MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS!
