February is one of my favorite months of the year, as a child likely because of my birthday and Valentine’s Day, I’ve always loved the kind sweetness that surrounds you that day!
The February of my 20th birthday my life was forever changed, in the most beautiful way. We welcome our son and never had I known love so instant or profound, so selfless and pure. Loving a tiny human (or not so tiny at 10lbs 15oz) more than I could have ever thought possible changed my whole being. He arrived on February 7th but in his first night he had breathing complications and we spent the next 5 days scared as hell visiting him in the NICU with little breathing tubes on him, waiting to hear he was doing well enough to breath on his own so that we could bring him home. The day finally came and that was the sweetest Valentine’s Day EVER!
Since then, I have tried to be a loving, devoted, attentive, caring, and supportive mom. (I have been and continue to be far from perfect as his mom - but I am always striving and committed to being better than the day before. I have worked to be a loving and supportive co-parent to my husband. I’ve tried to be the role model my son deserves and to be the guiding light along the way (even when he doesn’t want me to shed my mom light on the situation).
Over the years Valentine’s Day has been special in our home, because it remains my favorite holiday and the boys put up with my crazy around it. In its commercialized goodness, as Austin grew up it was a day I made sure to get time off work to spend in the classroom, it was a chance for me to get out the heart shaped dishes, make heart shaped food, decorate and spoil the boys. However, the reason I love it so much is actually because it’s a day where we are all reminded to show love to one another. Sometimes life gets busy and you wish you’d taken the time or seized the moment, but on this one day a year we are all reminded. Love is to show affection, and for me I translate that to showing kindness and care - for my family, friends, colleagues, clients, and all others!
