Love is Life

I love to make valentines with our residents. Very few have a spouse that is still living, but as we get down to business with heart doiles, puffy paint, and stickers, I am given the gift of stories about their sweethearts. I get to hear about memorable celebrations, thoughtful gifts, and the secret to keeping their love alive for 40, 50, 65 years. My favorite valentine is always made by my football player...


When I brought it to his room, along with a bracelet he made for his wife, he asked if I had made that for him. No, no, not this time. I told him it was the valentine that he made for his wife and he responded, "Well, look at that.... are you sure it was me?" Yes, yes, I'm sure it was you. Even though he didn't remember making the valentine, in the five minutes that it took him to create it, he knew that he wanted her to be his, always.

I was given a few Valentines as well yesterday. Don't be jealous, I'll let you borrow one of my bracelets... or the rolling pin with a heart at one end...? I laugh, yet I had the residents paint and decorate these totally bizarre wooden objects.


I felt sorry for Firas yesterday, having to compete with that. How can you top a miniature purple rolling pin with sequins? I wasn't sure he could.... until this morning!


If you know me well, you know that I am not a fan of red roses. However, I am a fan of hot tamales. If he had just gotten me a box of those, I would have swooned... but he threw some chocolate-covered strawberries, a travel mug, AND the sweetest card ever in there as well. The boy's got game.

Happy Valentine's Day to you, and you, and you!

"Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love." -Leo Tolstoy