A Favorite Day

Last Thursday was one of the best days that I've had in a long time. I've always been a fan of Valentine's Day even when I didn't celebrate it in the traditional matter (aka because I was in a relationship with a guy). I've always found that it is such a wonderful occasion to express your concern for others, especially those in whom you sometimes forget just to tell them that you appreciate are a part of your life. In my opinion, Valentine's Day is not a romantic holiday, but one to celebrate all forms of love around us.

And if given the chance on such an occasion, I think most of us will find that we have more love in our life than we sometimes recognize. Our lives are filled with co-workers, family, friends and even total strangers who care for us. Our common human need for affirmation and support causes us to want to partake in the giving and taking of kindness for one another.

This year, one of my favorite parts of Valentine's Day included a visit I made with several church members to a women's day shelter in our area. We tagged along with a women's organization who planned a special afternoon of pizza, candy, cake and fruit punch for some special women struggling to get back on their feet. I was able to deliver some Valentine's Day cards with candy (of course) made by our youth group. And I saw lots of joy on the faces of women who normally don't get treats like pizza and sweets.

As I had the opportunity to talk with some of the women, I was encouraged by their spunk. They were delighted it seemed to be able to talk to someone new and were eager to ask questions. My favorite was: "You're a pastor . . . No way, how old are you?" It was fun to be able to explain to them that I was indeed a pastor and had been out of school for almost two years. But, they never seemed to get over this fact and keep looking at me in amazement.

The afternoon of my day got even better. I had the opportunity to deliver Valentines cookies to a good friend who was sick and two senior adults and shared in their company. The senior women were both widows and were so happy that someone remembered that it was Valentine's Day. Happiness abounded in all of these visits.

And, in case you are wondering, it was also a good day to appreciate and to be appreciated by my husband. I got beautiful flowers at work and we went to a movie in the evening (something we'd normally never do on a "school night").

But at the end of the day, I was tired, really tired but happy for all the love I experienced in just one day!