According to the calendar, February is the shortest month of the year because it only has 28 or 29 days.
Yet I remember so many years when February seemed to be the longest month of the year. I was tired of the cold. If snow were on the ground, it usually was no longer white. And if you had young children, it seemed to take forever to get everyone in hats and coats—and there was always a search for mittens.
The only thing that gave me hope was the “Opening Soon” sign that appeared in the Dairy Queen on Washington Street and Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day seemed to be a reminder of how important it was to think of others. Children came home from school with all those little pieces of paper that reminded them that their classmates liked them. There might be an art project presented to Mom and Dad with the words “I love you.” Life always is better when someone reminds you that you are special.
A couple of years ago, in the spirit of making people feel special, I decided that maybe I should be nicer to the people who worked as cashiers and clerks at the stores where I shopped.
One day, I was buying candy to send to my grandchildren. Since nobody was in the line behind me, I asked the cashier if she liked any of the candy I had chosen. I asked if she could open one or two of the bags and take some for her afternoon break.
A smile spread across her face as she said she could do that. I think I embarrassed my friend who was shopping with me, but I loved the smile.
I understand the benefits of wearing masks, but I miss seeing people smile.
If I can’t share a smile, then maybe I need to be more conscious of how many kind words I share with the people I see every day. Maybe I need to send a few more Valentine’s Day cards this year. Maybe I need to try to celebrate Valentine’s Day every day in February by trying to make more people feel special as we endure the last days of winter.
To the readers of this column: I appreciate deeply that so many people asked if I would continue to write this column after I moved to Texas. I didn’t realize how many people read what I wrote. Thanks for making me feel special.
