Happy Valentines Day, to my beautiful, better half.
My V Tine
Tag Archives: love
Where’s love
The daily prompt asks – Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?
The most recent location I’ve felt loved was at my son’s house when my grandson saw me and was so excited to hug me, he tripped coming up the stairs. Notice how I interpreted that literally.
I’ve felt loved when a stranger smiles at me. I’ve felt loved when someone lets me in on a crowded highway. I’ve felt loved when someone said they loved a photo I shot. I’ve felt loved when good friends hugged me. I’ve felt loved when I get an extra pickle slice with my Reuben. I’ve felt loved when I get a drawing/painting from my grandchildren. I’ve felt loved when that bag of candy hearts comes home unexpectedly from the market. I’ve felt loved when someone de-iced my windows and warmed my car up. I’ve felt loved when my daughter squeezes my hand.
Feeling loved is important to everyone. If it isn’t, you’re really missing out on a big part of life. There are times in life where you don’t feel loved and those are painful days.
Feeling loved is a complex thing. It can be spoken and unspoken. Many actions express love from a simple touch to a note that says I love you to a romantic weekend away.
My parents have passed long ago but I still feel their love in the faces in the pictures of them I look at often. My children are adults now and have their own families but our love for them is just as strong as it was day 1 of their lives.
That is one of the toughest parts about your love for your children. You have to let them go and have their own lives and families and share them. But in every note, or text or call or visit that love comes through, which carries the minutes of the day without them with love.
Love can ebb and flow. It grows and diminishes and grows again. Have a smile on your face and be ready to catch it.
Which interaction
Choose your interactions wisely.
I hope to get a hug from a young one today myself. And keep my face out of the phone.
Family day
I was recharged today. Both my children and my grandchildren together. What a treat. Our daughter-in-law’s mother is also visiting. We got online with her other daughter who lives across the country and was having a reveal party for their first child. It was a boy, I guessed wrong.
Talk about a joyous day. Celebrating Mother’s Day (yes early) but together. And another addition to the growing family of cousins for our grandchildren.
I’m thinking of my own Mom tonight. I look outside at the beauty of the season and remember how much she liked to garden. One of her many talents. I miss that reassuring hand and smile. I miss the encouragement. l miss the dishes she fixed. I miss her smell. And so many other things.
Time with family and friends for me is a key to happiness.
Random Thoughts of the Day
- It must have been a good week because it flew by.
- Little ones can wear you out.
- This was a special Mother’s Day weekend for someone close to me that I won’t forget.
- I should sleep or try to. I need to rise early.
You light up my day
Thank you, my better half. You give me hope, calm, support, and love. There isn’t a light as bright or comforting as you.
Blogging
I just realized I passed the 3000 posts mark a few posts back. I saw the 5400 image mark passed a while back. Not bad over the 10 years but a drop in the bucket I hope to do over the next 10. I’ve only been retired for 3 months now.
I also found a list of goals from January and February of 2014. I thought about starting a business in Photography, Blogging, Book writing, and other arts. 10 years later I want nothing to do with business, but everything to do with pursuing those roles. If a business comes from it later on, so be it.
All I want to do is create. And several of the ideas on this 10-year-old list need to be fulfilled. Sometimes I’m glad I’m a packrat. Hidden gems appear now and then.
I feel like I’m on this unfinished journey to realize something I feel the need to communicate and create.
When I started, I thought it was just for my photography. I discovered I enjoyed writing (running on at the mouth without talking). It’s the practice to learn and develop so I can get a book or two completed.
But I use blogging for a lot of things. Simple ones like just getting moving and motivated every day. It makes me think, reflect, and sometimes share what I’m feeling about what I’m hearing or seeing. It’s something that family and a few friends occasionally look at.
It reminds me to pick up the cameras, turn on the music, get into a positive mindset, and begin the passion I feel each day.
I get to share the random crap that crosses my mind, and my photos and hopefully make someone else feel better and myself at the same time.
Random Thoughts of the Day
- The sounds of pickups and trailers unloading huge mowers have started again. Maybe someday they will be pulling up in front of my house. Of course that comes with a COST.
- Good friends, good food, March Madness. Blissful Sunday morning.
- The news is the news, it’s there every day. I’m more of a history buff now being retired from news organizations. I catch it when it’s convenient with me.
- I fall a little short of writing my children every day but at least that reminder is there and I have a fairly good batting average.
- I have two dead batteries this morning and only one charger.
Hearts Out
A Happy Valentine’s Day to all. We used to get caught up in the excitement of the day when we were younger. I remember the pressure and feeling like I didn’t get it right some years ago. As we aged, and grew wisdom, we knew it was more important to celebrate the spirit of the day throughout the year and not focus so much on an overpriced commercialization of Love in one day.
Yes, it’s fun to get your better half some flowers or take her to dinner or a gift of her liking, but it can be a waste of money to do it for this day. Everything is overpriced, over-crowded, and overdone.
Some years ago we just started taking a night away someplace local, but on another evening than Valentines Day. I like getting her flowers or treating her unexpectedly. It’s just as important to do this throughout the year as it is today.
Little tokens of love each day, that’s the best gift.
Random Thoughts of the Day
- I seem to get more excited at the prospect of each new day. Appreciation is a good feeling.
- The sound of that cold wind outside is not consistent with the warm sunshine coming through the window. Sort of like a head fake in basketball where I’ll be sailing into the clutches of winter.
- I had two bags of the Conversation Hearts candy in my hands yesterday. I stood there and put them back down. My better half said she was proud. I’m sitting here thinking I should have bought them.
- Pain is the winner again, despite a strong start to the day.
A Card
My better half and I still give each other cards for our birthdays, anniversary and at Christmas. We take some time finding the right sentiment inside. And we always add our own to them. So I thought it strange the other day to find a card on my pillow. It wasn’t a holiday, not even near my birthday, anniversary has passed so what is up.
I opened it and it was a retirement card from her and some of the most touching things she has ever written. It felt so special that she expressed thanks for a lot of sacrifices I’m made along the way and the appreciation for them and more. Sometimes a card is much more than a card.
Travel - We tried but failed to get away this month so far. Looks like we will have to make up for it and double up one of the coming months. I’m looking forward to getting in the car and exploring a bit. Even day to day around the local area.
Physical Status - I always liked Mr. T in his prediction for the fight with Rocky. He would turn that face slightly with the meanest scowl say “PAIN.” Yesterday I felt like I woke with him in my face saying that. Such is life occasionally. Today is about the same, but I have a diversion coming in the form of my young grandson with the endless motor. So this discomfort will pass with time and much easier now that I have something to enjoy along the way.
Random Thoughts of the Day
- Each time I put my mind to it I surprise myself.
- Improvise, adapt and overcome is a good attitude not just for Marines but Seniors also.
- Setting my goals higher today in terms of print output.
- The warm temps coming will be a nice temporary reprieve. I’m thankful.
- Ideas galore this morning. Let me go write them down before they pass. Have a good day.