Be Mine

I won't lie to you.

I think Valentine's Day is WAY overrated.

Ridiculous.

If I could outlaw it, I just might.

I know.  Way to throw cold water on a perfectly good "holiday".

It just seems like a day when too many people have to be reminded of unmet expectations.

My single friends enjoy it so beautifully and graciously as a friendship day.  I'm truly thankful.
A friendship day is a wonderful idea, but honestly, my friends make me feel special every day.

But there are young people who are unattached and wondering if they are unattractive.
And married people who aren't really feeling it.  Alone together.
And young couples who are trying to take it slow,
but feel the pressure to write a fairytale when a mystery might be closer to the truth.
I guess that's my problem.
I think Valentine's Day highlights the likelihood that we love romantic fiction more than reality.
The reality is that there are just so many good and beautiful and simple ways to show love every day.
To everyone we know.  No pressure needed to get it right.

Luckily for me, during all of my years without a Valentine,

I always had a classroom full of them.

I loved Valentine's Day in school.
It was every kid's day to be loved.  Everyone gave Valentines to everyone.

We all opened them in a circle amidst a sea of smiles and a cacophony of "Thank you, So-and-so!"

Very sweet.  No unmet expectations.

My own kids have outgrown those days now.
They are wondering how we will celebrate as a family,

now that they no longer exchange Valentines at school with all their classmates.

I wonder if they have become aware that Valentine's Day
is a day when you could end up feeling forgotten.

I suppose we will do what we have always done.

Share a little something sweet, and maybe a little something special.

I am sure we will remember this one thing:

We are always, always loved.

I pray that I might share a little love

with someone who might have forgotten that...

or never known.

I hope you know today that you are dearly loved!

Brrr!! (which rhymes with grrr!...but in a good way)

Photo 52, Week 6:  Brrr!!

This week's theme is a cool one, and it reminded me that I hadn't yet seen
how the young leopards and tigers are getting along with winter.

So I felt obligated to pay them a visit.
(You have to pass the grizzlies to get to the leopards.)

Apparently, brrr and grrr are very complementary.

But also...

...there is the Winter Carnival to think of.

Melissa and I took our families

to check out the snow sculptures

and also, the maze.

I had a hard time narrowing it down this week--

winter is so photogenic!