Happy Valentine's Day

So here's the short of it,
Today has been a good Valentine's Day.

And here's the long

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I've been thinking about all the kinds of Valentine's we have.  Of course, there's our mate, our Valentine, the person we've chosen to slog through life with through the good and the bad.

Then there's all those variations.  

Remember the Valentine Box we made in grade school, and wondered if that special someone would put a Valentine in it, or how crushed we were if a friend chose not to include us in those grade school cards.

Then in adolescence there was a special somebody - that Valentine who made your heart skip a beat and if you were really lucky, you were "together", maybe at the Valentine's Day dance or for a special date.

Then of course those first loves.  Memories of first loves and first real Valentines stay with us in some fashion for our whole lives.  I remember when my niece Sarah got married, her sister made a toast to the fact that she and her husband were not only soul mates, but they were also really the first girlfriend/boyfriend either had ever had.  What special Valentines they are for one another.
   
Our co-workers or people who work to serve us in some way or another are our Valentine's in some ways, and tonight as we had dinner with our Mothers we wished the wonderful staff at Elmcroft a Happy Valentine's Day with a sincere wish and a hug.

In our family, growing up, we children knew our parents loved us, and that even though they were Sweethearts and Valentines,  we were also their Valentine. And as we became parents and had our own children - whether they share our biology or as mine, our hearts, we began to understand that it is our children who are our Valentine's forever and it is our job to send them out into the world, not quite understanding how much of our hearts they really have.  

Happy Valentine's Day to all who read this.  In some way if you've shared my journey this far, I certainly consider you my Valentine - you the family and friends of my heart - thank you for all your support this far.