Beautiful thoughts for Valentine’s Day and beyond. In my senior years I still send Valentines to stay in touch with family and friends. It seems now when the world seems so chaotic, that love needs to be celebrated in all its forms. I believe it is the only way we will find peace.
Hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. I enjoy each submission from Steady.
I was glad my father was an eye-smiler. It meant he never gave me a fake smile because it's impossible to make your eyes twinkle if you aren't feeling twinkly yourself. A mouth-smile is different. You can fake a mouth-smile any time you want, simply by moving your lips. I've also learned that a real mouth-smile always has an eye-smile to go with it. So watch out, I say, when someone smiles at you but his eyes stay the same. It's sure to be a phony. ~Roald Dahl
Thank you for your beautifully worded commentary on Valentine's Day. This took me back to grade school, 3rd grade to be exact. One of my most cherished Valentines was from my friend Freddie. He was so wonderful, friendly, always there for you. This was 1963 and Freddie had epilepsy and I witnessed a few of his attacks at school. My heart always went out to him for his bravery in dealing with his condition and not letting it bring him down.
That year he gave me the most special hand made valentine. On the cover of the folded white sheet of paper was a huge red heart. He used his crayons to color it so well that there were remnants of crayons stuck to the paper. Of course it said, be my valentine and I loved it. Kept it but unsure where it is now.
Here was a kid dealing with illness and I would say he had the biggest heart. Unfortunately, Freddie died in his freshman year in high school. I have never forgotten him and his love for life and others.
Fred's hand made 3rd grade Valentine has always been one of my favorites and always will be. 💗
Thank you! So beautifully expressed reminding and challenging us to remember that what the world always needs is “ love sweet love. No, not just for some but everyone”.
Thanks Dan. It is a special day for me as 44 years ago I opened a Valentine and read the words inside and then looked at the bottom and saw something hand written. When I read it the words were, "P. S. Will you marry me?" I said yes and it has been an E ticket ride ever since. (Only a Disneyland person will get the reference to E ticket!) We have had ups and downs but the love has managed to overcome all of our trials and tribulations. Heart bypass surgery, cancer, deaths of family members, only seemed to make us stronger in our love. I wish everyone could experience what I have for 44 years!
“Let us use this Valentine’s Day to remind each other and ourselves about the myriad benefits that come from being expansive in our love and support.” This suggestion is so inspirational to me. It makes me feel peaceful and content, unlike trying to find the perfect gift to give everyone, which makes me feel stressed. Thank you for sharing the thoughts and ideas in this piece with us. It’s a nice valentine gift!
“In past eras, Valentine's Day was often treated in our schools as a popularity contest.” I am happy that in my place and time all the children in my elementary classrooms enjoyed giving cards to everyone in the class. The teacher would send home a list of the first names of all the children in our class and the students would enthusiastically address valentines to everyone and pass them out at school. Of course I would try to make sure each card went to a classmate who would appreciate it the most and there were always a few more special valentines for one’s closest friends, but everyone in class went home with a bag chock full of greetings with silly puns. I want to think that this is the way things were in the classrooms of my childhood in Tucson in the 60s, but I may be confusing some details of memories with those of my 40 years of teaching.
I guess those people who hate participation trophies would probably hate this system. It does make it harder to bully others , which is probably what those haters miss most about the old days.
And, there was always another incentive for giving a valentine to everyone; more valentines to pass out meant more time out of one’s seat walking and mingling in the class. 😁 That was much more fun than sitting quietly at one’s desk!
♥️ “The world would be a better place if we all did a better job of letting those we care about know our feelings on a daily basis.” Yes. What a wonderful thought. I will work on this.
Happy Valentine's Day right back atcha, Mr. Rather and Mr. Kirschner! Thank you for your column and thoughts about Life. It is good to have ideals recounted, disappointments acknowledged and and suggestions for rededicating ourselves to those ideals. I'm reminded of a long-ago teacher's way of beginning each day in our one-room school in Kansas. Each student was given the responsibility of reading or describing a short "devotion" to start the day in a cheerful frame of mind. It could be a line from a poem, song, sight, or thought that uplifted one's mood, about animals, nature, the seasons, the world. But it could not be a Bible verse; she wanted us to think (and she helped the bashful.) I like your suggestion for Valentine's Day, a kind of "devotion" to make our hearts known to self and others. Here's mine: yesterday in the grocery store, the sudden gladness of seeing a dear old friend: a display of flower and vegetable seeds. Spring is on its way!
Beautiful thoughts for Valentine’s Day and beyond. In my senior years I still send Valentines to stay in touch with family and friends. It seems now when the world seems so chaotic, that love needs to be celebrated in all its forms. I believe it is the only way we will find peace.
Hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. I enjoy each submission from Steady.
A way to live a life.
and we love you two also 💙
EXCELLENT!
💕💕💕💕♥️♥️♥️♥️
Love is everything
Kindness and generosity are signs of love
Without it you are nothing.
I was glad my father was an eye-smiler. It meant he never gave me a fake smile because it's impossible to make your eyes twinkle if you aren't feeling twinkly yourself. A mouth-smile is different. You can fake a mouth-smile any time you want, simply by moving your lips. I've also learned that a real mouth-smile always has an eye-smile to go with it. So watch out, I say, when someone smiles at you but his eyes stay the same. It's sure to be a phony. ~Roald Dahl
Thank you for your beautifully worded commentary on Valentine's Day. This took me back to grade school, 3rd grade to be exact. One of my most cherished Valentines was from my friend Freddie. He was so wonderful, friendly, always there for you. This was 1963 and Freddie had epilepsy and I witnessed a few of his attacks at school. My heart always went out to him for his bravery in dealing with his condition and not letting it bring him down.
That year he gave me the most special hand made valentine. On the cover of the folded white sheet of paper was a huge red heart. He used his crayons to color it so well that there were remnants of crayons stuck to the paper. Of course it said, be my valentine and I loved it. Kept it but unsure where it is now.
Here was a kid dealing with illness and I would say he had the biggest heart. Unfortunately, Freddie died in his freshman year in high school. I have never forgotten him and his love for life and others.
Fred's hand made 3rd grade Valentine has always been one of my favorites and always will be. 💗
What a beautiful, beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you! So beautifully expressed reminding and challenging us to remember that what the world always needs is “ love sweet love. No, not just for some but everyone”.
Thanks Dan. It is a special day for me as 44 years ago I opened a Valentine and read the words inside and then looked at the bottom and saw something hand written. When I read it the words were, "P. S. Will you marry me?" I said yes and it has been an E ticket ride ever since. (Only a Disneyland person will get the reference to E ticket!) We have had ups and downs but the love has managed to overcome all of our trials and tribulations. Heart bypass surgery, cancer, deaths of family members, only seemed to make us stronger in our love. I wish everyone could experience what I have for 44 years!
“Let us use this Valentine’s Day to remind each other and ourselves about the myriad benefits that come from being expansive in our love and support.” This suggestion is so inspirational to me. It makes me feel peaceful and content, unlike trying to find the perfect gift to give everyone, which makes me feel stressed. Thank you for sharing the thoughts and ideas in this piece with us. It’s a nice valentine gift!
Thank you for sharing the love! We need it so much these days, when there is more than enough hate to go around.
“In past eras, Valentine's Day was often treated in our schools as a popularity contest.” I am happy that in my place and time all the children in my elementary classrooms enjoyed giving cards to everyone in the class. The teacher would send home a list of the first names of all the children in our class and the students would enthusiastically address valentines to everyone and pass them out at school. Of course I would try to make sure each card went to a classmate who would appreciate it the most and there were always a few more special valentines for one’s closest friends, but everyone in class went home with a bag chock full of greetings with silly puns. I want to think that this is the way things were in the classrooms of my childhood in Tucson in the 60s, but I may be confusing some details of memories with those of my 40 years of teaching.
I guess those people who hate participation trophies would probably hate this system. It does make it harder to bully others , which is probably what those haters miss most about the old days.
And, there was always another incentive for giving a valentine to everyone; more valentines to pass out meant more time out of one’s seat walking and mingling in the class. 😁 That was much more fun than sitting quietly at one’s desk!
♥️ “The world would be a better place if we all did a better job of letting those we care about know our feelings on a daily basis.” Yes. What a wonderful thought. I will work on this.
Happy Valentine's Day right back atcha, Mr. Rather and Mr. Kirschner! Thank you for your column and thoughts about Life. It is good to have ideals recounted, disappointments acknowledged and and suggestions for rededicating ourselves to those ideals. I'm reminded of a long-ago teacher's way of beginning each day in our one-room school in Kansas. Each student was given the responsibility of reading or describing a short "devotion" to start the day in a cheerful frame of mind. It could be a line from a poem, song, sight, or thought that uplifted one's mood, about animals, nature, the seasons, the world. But it could not be a Bible verse; she wanted us to think (and she helped the bashful.) I like your suggestion for Valentine's Day, a kind of "devotion" to make our hearts known to self and others. Here's mine: yesterday in the grocery store, the sudden gladness of seeing a dear old friend: a display of flower and vegetable seeds. Spring is on its way!
Happy Valentine’s Day Dan, and to all in this community! 💕