“All you need is love… Love is all you need.” ~The Beatles

Dear Universe,

Happy Valentine’s Day!

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day because what’s better than a day that focuses on love?

Yes, I know.  We should show love every day.  We shouldn’t hold back our feelings or emotions.  We should tell the ones we love how much they mean to us and we shouldn’t wait for Valentine’s Day.

But, today serves as a good reminder.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.

One of my favorite things is when someone shows you love in the most unexpected moment.  As adults we don’t do this often enough.

Around the holidays my four-year-old niece (four and a half as she’s quick to tell me!)  came for a visit.  Since she lives hours away, I cherish these visits with her where we bond over Disney movies, crafts, cooking and just plain being silly.

She’s the best.

Now I know I am bias, but she really is.  She brings so much joy to my life.  And to top it off she’s caring, beautiful, funny, smart and creative.  I love her to pieces.

One afternoon, my niece walked up to me.  She handed me a small slip of paper.

“I made you this,” she said with her infectious smile and big brown eyes beaming at me.

I looked down at the paper.  She had folded it in half, to make a card.  On one side she had used a red pen and drawn a heart.  One the other side she had written in her all-caps-script one word.  LOVE. 

That was it.

I almost cried.

“Where did you learn how to write love?”  Up until this point I had only seen her write her name and the word apple or words that we helped spell.

“I just know how to do it!”

Have I mentioned she’s the cutest?

I gave her a huge hug, smothered her with a half dozen kisses, told her how much I loved her and my card and that I would save it.  I always save her drawings and paintings that she gives me and though this wasn’t very elaborate, it was probably my favorite.

I love that her gift came out of nowhere.  I love that she thought of me and wanted to make me something.  I love that she is so open in expressing her feelings.

Feelings that as adults we don’t share enough.

And so I’ve saved this little card.  It sits on my dresser, but I keep meaning to put it in my wallet.  I want it handy so whenever I am having a bad day I can just take it out and remember how lucky I am to be this little girl’s aunt.

Because no matter what kind of day I am having, she can always warm my heart and make me smile.

The thing is I doubt my niece really knows how much she means to me, how much of a difference she makes in my life.  I wonder if she ever will.  Maybe it will be a moment years from now, when she’s much older, when I whip out this slip of paper that’s become frayed around the edges to show her.  She’ll look at her sentimental aunt, roll her eyes and laugh like I’m crazy for having saved it.  But maybe then she’ll get it.

And if she doesn’t that’s okay too.

So.  It’s Valentine’s Day.  Reach out and tell someone you love  her (or him!)  It doesn’t have to be a store-bought card.  It doesn’t have to be a bouquet of roses or a fancy dinner.

Just let someone know that her presence in your life makes a difference.

It might mean more than you will ever know.

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Hope everyone has a LOVE-filled, heart-warming day.

Much Gratitude,

A