When Love is a Verb in the Hollow

By Dee Dee Parker

Welcome to the winter hollow, sweet reader.

February is usually cold and quite often, snowy here in my part of the Appalachian Mountains; but I have a Valentine story (hey, it’s still the love month!) to warm your heart and soul. No, it is not the typical sweetheart tale, but one of love just the same.

Grab a cup of spiced tea or a hot mug of coffee and I’ll get started with the story.

Not so long ago, while shopping in a thrift store, I noticed a cute little boy about four years-old wearing an Indian headdress he’d obviously made. As I passed the child, he said hi to me. I said hello and told him I liked the headdress. He shared how his daycare class was learning about Indian culture and they’d made the headdresses that day.

I saw his name was printed on the headband in large crude letters: Brucie.

I smiled, wished him a happy Valentine's Day, and moved to another part of the store. A few minutes later I felt a tug on my coat. The little boy held something tight in fist offered in my direction.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he said.

I bent down and he handed me a bright yellow feather from his headband. There was now a notable gap in his line of colorful feathers.

“Brucie, I hate to take your pretty feather,” I said.

“I learned at church that Valentine’s Day is about love and I love you.”

I gave the generous little boy a hug, after gaining permission from his mom.

Little Brucie would never know how much his gift and precious words meant to me. Valentine’s Day had always been so much fun with my son and daughter when they were children. After my daughter passed away I often dreaded the lovely holiday. Brucie’s gift and hug helped me to embrace my memories with my children and to look for ways to pass his gift of love along.

“When love is viewed as a verb its focus is on giving.” R. Robert Flatt

How was the gift of love passed onto you this Valentine’s Day?

Photo by Clever Visuals on Unsplash