Joyfully Valentine – ing! – Joyful Storyteller

(I just made up a word!)

The way I see it, Valentine’s Day can be: super happy or super disappointing. Either way, it’s just simply STRESS – FULL for everyone.

(Unless it’s accompanied by lots of dark chocolate…)

So, I decided to rename the day… Happy Vitality Day… Happy Vibrant Day… Happy Vegetarian Day… Happy Voracious Day (this is a very good SAT word!) and, I intend to be very voracious with any sort of dark chocolate that crosses my path today. Seriously, if NO ONE gets the hint here…..

Since I profess no supernatural abilities to mind meld or actually know how to utilize The Force, I thought it best to dig into my box of chocolates and to intentionally give life and light.

Along with my beloved Moms In Prayer crew (we meet every other week to pray for our kids, their schools & the SRVUSD district…this is my 12th year, and it’s amazing to experience God’s hand in our kids’ lives), we delivered Valentine’s Day gift baskets to the front office staff representing the schools we pray over. So delighted for very voracious – satisfying baskets filled with fresh fruit, granola bars, chocolates, homemade persimmon jam, nuts and whatever else I could sneak in there!

Gathering To Celebrate Christmas Together!

There was so much JOY in this Valentine – ing task… in a voracious sort of way! Let’s count the ways:

Gathering goodies from moms: It was exciting to see all kinds deliciousness show up at my doorstep,
Getting creative with my teen daughter as we shopped for the “right” basket and decorations,
Creating & filling Positivity Jars; Writing and laying out the copy wasn’t such a chore because the sayings were so uplifting!, and;
Delivering the baskets in person came with an unexpected level of glow. Like, I really didn’t expect the squeals, the hugs and so many “thank you’s!”.

With all that JOY, I was practically floating all the way home. To write this.

Perhaps, the lesson here is about focusing on a personal approach (it doesn’t have to be expensive; delightful can be affordable). You see, when the recipient is genuinely joyful, that joy is simply infectious. In a good way. Not in a flu sort of way! And, as I experienced today… it truly is better to give than to receive.

So, get out there. Be intentional about bringing light into another’s life. A stranger, even. It doesn’t have to be over the top: hold the door open so others can exit, let the other car go ahead of you at the 4-way stop, pick up the coffee tab for the next customer or like my sweet daughter – challenge yourself to give 3 compliments to 3 strangers every day. You get what I’m saying. Valentine’s Day should be everyday. Because when you do more kindness and gentleness, it fills YOU up ten-fold. Maybe even one hundred-fold!

Yup. Today… Just a little kindness. Generated a whole bunch of huge smiles. My heart is so full. How about yours?

(Intentional joy met me at Safeway, too. I grabbed a bag of chocolates for fresh fruit chocolate fondue… Gonna’ be a voracious sort of dessert-ing tonight and lots of happy faces!)

Happy Valentine’s Day. Every Day!