what love means to me

Thursday, February 13, 2022

Because it's Love Month and Valentine's Day is tomorrow, I thought I would share a post about what love means to me in the form of 3 short stories.


"Love is...Taking Time Out of Your Day So I Can Enjoy Mine"

On Tuesday morning, my Dad volunteered to watch Olivia for a few hours so I could go to my Girls of Grace Valentine's Day party at church. I was thrilled to have a morning out of the house by myself to enjoy fellowship with good friends. My Dad is only in town a few days a week so his time is very valuable to him, especially since my parents had been gone the past week on a cruise. Usually, my Dad's Mondays and Tuesdays are packed full with everything he needs to get done while he's in town. On Tuesday, instead of asking me to hurry home after church so he could get on with his errands, he watched Olivia an extra two hours so I could get MY errands done, baby-free. He showed me so much love by forgoing his own plans to help me execute mine. It touched my heart.
(Thanks, Dad.)

"Love is...Ordering My Favorite Chocolates Without Me Even Knowing"

I'm not really a big candy person -- in fact, I rarely eat candy. I would rather indulge in a piece of chocolate cake covered in raspberries & fresh whipped cream. But there are two certain candies that will forever top my list of favorite treats -- dark chocolate sea salt caramels & almond toffee (from Lynne Marie's Candies in Hayward, WI). My mom discovered them a few years ago, and we gave the almond toffee as favors at our wedding -- yes, they are THAT good. We order them from out-of-state and they are shipped fresh within 48 hours; my mom buys them wholesale through her company. But we only have them once a year -- at Christmastime, of course.

I casually mentioned to Dustin that it would be fun if as part of my Valentine's Day gift, he gave me my two favorite chocolates from Lynne Marie's. I was going to talk with my mom and ask her to order them before my parent's cruise, but lost track of time and it slipped my mind. I realized that once they got home, it would be too late to order them in time for Valentine's. I called my Mom on Tuesday anyway and asked if in the next few days she'd be able to place an order.

On Tuesday night, we had my parents over for a fun dinner to hear all about their cruise. After dinner, Dustin surprised me with a big brown box -- clearly something that was not from a store but that had come through the mail. Yes, you guessed it -- inside were two dozen of my two favorite treats, dark chocolate sea salt caramels & almond toffee. He had asked my Mom to order them before their cruise so I would have them in time for Valentine's Day. My heart melted to my knees...what a kind and thoughtful gesture and such a sweet surprise. He had listened to what I had briefly mentioned weeks ago and went out of his way to make it happen. It reminded me that even when I am not aware of it, Dustin is always thinking of ways to make me happy and bless me, even if in the silliest or smallest way. That is what love means to me.

"Love is...Going Above & Beyond the Call of Coworker Duty"

I work PT in fine jewelry sales (and LOVE it!) but today was a crazy afternoon. As soon as Dustin got home from work, I bolted out the door to get to my job in time. I noticed as soon as I hit the freeway that my car was really low on gas. I should have filled up near home, but by the time I realized, it was too late. I spent the 15 minute drive debating if I could make it home or not after work without filling up, knowing I was not at all interested in stopping at a gas station in the freezing cold after dark.

I was already running late and didn't think I had time, but when I was near work I exited to fill up, knowing I would be late anyway. Well, I spent 15 minutes driving around LOOKING for a gas station and there were literally none anywhere, which just blew my mind because of the crazy-busy metropolis that area is with countless shops & restaurants. I was so frustrated; I had just wasted all the gas I could have probably used to get home and I still hadn't accomplished anything, PLUS I was going to be late.

I walked in to work clearly frustrated and explained what had happened to my coworkers (which are really more like my girlfriends since I've grown so close to them over the past 6 months). I was stressed out. One of my coworkers, Ann, offered to take my car after her shift ended, gas it up and come back to drop it off so it would be filled and waiting after my shift. SERIOUSLY?! Who does that? It was one of the most kind things anyone has ever done; she sacrificed her time and energy to bless me -- and she did it all while it's below freezing outside! After a long day of work, I know all I want to do is go home and rest. Ann chose to serve me through her kind actions instead of just going home and leaving me to figure it out. That showed such love to me -- selfless love. And on top of that? She did it all with a genuine smile. She has such a wonderful heart.

I hope you all have been giving lots of extra love this week to your loved ones. It really is the smallest gestures that mean the most and the sincere acts of kindness that make the every-day special. I know my Dad, Dustin, and Ann will all be blessed because of how much they blessed me this week. 



Happy Valentine's Eve!
Xo

2 comments :

  1. Those look delicious, and she is so freaking cute!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your kind words mean more to me than you'll ever know my dear friend. I'm glad to know that my simple gesture made your heart fuller than when you came into work. I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing women when I'm at work!
    It was my pleasure, and no trouble at all to gas up you vehicle. That's what friends do for friends!
    Hugs,
    Ann

    ReplyDelete

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