Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
VALENTINE’S DAY. What an opportunity to show love. Beyond the romantic, this day encompasses love within families, love among friends, love within communities.
Red roses, a traditional Valentine’s Day expression of love. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
Love. We need more of it, exhibited in kindness and compassion and care. Acts and words of love remind each of us that we are valued, that our voices are heard, our feelings matter.
Valentine’s Day wood cut-outs. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
But how do we show that love on February 14?
Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
The timeless traditions of flowers, chocolates and/or dinner out always exude love. So do valentine cards. Some of my sweetest Valentine’s Day memories involve paste, paper hearts and shoe boxes with glittery hand-punched valentines slipped through slits into those boxes.
I have several vintage valentines from my mom’s collection and have displayed them for Valentine’s Day. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
Nostalgia only lasts so long, though. It’s important to live in today, to show those we love that we genuinely care for them. Today. Now.
Last week I wrote about Valentine’s Day for Warner Press, a Christian publishing company in Indiana. I’m a blogger with Warner and recently also became blog content and strategy development coordinator. Basically, I plan, assign, write, edit and proof blog posts. I love this job, which fits my skills, talents and my faith. I love the team at Warner Press. They are incredible people who are caring, kind, appreciative, supportive and more.
I invite you to read my post, “Reflecting God’s Love as We Celebrate Valentine’s Day,” by clicking here. In my post you will find ideas that spread the love, whether you are a person of faith or not.
I welcome Valentine’s Day as a day of opportunity, a day to extend love. In words. Happy Valentine’s Day, dear readers. May you experience an abundance of love on February 14. And may you also share that love with others.
© Copyright 2019 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Happy Velentine’s Day to you as well, Audrey. Thank you for sharing your writing for Warner Press –such a nice post.
Thank you, Beth Ann.
Your Warner article is wonderful! I love the idea of the “heart attack”! 🙂
Thank you, Penny.
Congratulations on your new position with Warner, Audrey. The idea of Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to extend love is an idea I adore. We have a tradition of Sunday supper with our kids whatever Sunday is closest to Valentine’s Day and everybody gets a little Valentine from Mick and me. This year, my granddaughter Camille made a painting for everyone in a Jackson Pollock style (yep, we also had an art lesson in there) with some help from me; it was such a great time. Anyway, it’s always a good time to extend love, on Valentine’s Day and every other day. Happy Valentine’s Day to you.
Kathleen, you have such wonderful traditions with your family that express love and build memories. That art lesson with Camille is inspiring me to consider the same with Izzy in a few years.
For some reason I get giddy over a box of chocolates – not sure why – probably part of it is due to it not being the norm. I love buying myself flowers every once in a while too. It is the little things in life that make one’s day 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Heart Month (important to take care of your heart too)!!!
I love chocolate and flowers, too, and always appreciate receiving them from Randy. I often buy myself an over-sized dark chocolate candy bar from our local Aldi. It’s my go-to treat when I crave chocolate. I really do need to buy myself flowers sometimes also.
I always keep dark chocolate on hand if possible and in case of emergencies – ha! I will have to check out an Aldi one of these days. I have to start working on my cutting flower garden since I have room to grow one.
Plant zinnias. They are my favorite cut flower and incredibly easy to grow from seed. At least here in Minnesota.
I love Zinnias and Dahlias with their riot of colors.
Oh, yes, dahlias are beautiful. But more difficult to grow than zinnias.
Congratulations on your new job at Warner. I liked both of your posts about Valentine’s Day.
I explained Valentines and then helped Zoey & Ezra make Valentine cards to give to their mom and dad when they return from CO. It was so much fun.
Thank you, Valerie.
What fun to make valentines with Zoey and Ezra. Izzy, Randy and I did the same a few weekends ago.
Unfortunately, Valentine’s Day memories can be a remembrance of a cruel time. I still remember when I was in 5th or 6th grade, the “heartthrob of the class gave me a Valentine with an astronaut on it . The caption was “I don’t like space between us!” He had crossed out the “don’t.” I wasn’t one of the “choice” girls in the class…only smart, but that didn’t matter then. The hurt remains, even after all these years, more than 60!
I am so sorry for that long ago hurt which still hurts. I wish I couldn’t empathize, but I can.
You’re right that Valentine’s Day can be a difficult day for anyone from child to adult. I hope we are making strides to be kinder, more loving, from child to adult. You are loved and valued. Know that.