What the heart wants

A burst of sunshine in the heart of winter

Love shows itself in surprising ways. While we are generally conditioned to think mainly of Valentine's Day as a celebration for lovers, I grew up as seeing it as a day of hope. My own mother would sometimes leave a small gift beside my bed for when I awoke. Perhaps a small bag of chocolate hearts or cinnamon candies. It was the joy of finding these small tokens--this splash of red in the heart of wintery white--that always made me smile. They spoke volumes about the power of little luxuries, of wee delights that made me say--and still makes me say--how wonderful that you remembered. That you knew what it took to make me feel special. And now, with my own family and friends, I profess that I cannot read minds but if I listen carefully enough, I can hear what the heart wants. And it wants to feel special. Noticed. Loved. It might be by serving my son homemade cocoa that was frothed on the stove. It might be by playing that song that makes my daughter's eyes light with delight. It might even be taking on that chore that my husband thought I'd forgotten about. Or it might be by calling a friend out of the blue. In themselves, these acts are small. But to the individual, they are tokens from me to them. They say that I noticed. That I remembered. That I know this is what will make you smile. And all these every day bits help make up what it is to be human and connected. They are the building blocks of relating and growing. And loving. Happy Valentine's Day to you.