My husband and I have a 94 year old aunt who is doing really well living alone but who is needing a bit more assistance with things as her eyes begin to fail.  This winter is becoming increasingly long as she can no longer see enough to drive and even reading is difficult.  So her life revolves around television, phone conversations and visits from family and friend.

Often when I visit I go downstairs with her to get her mail and I see the disappointment when  all that emerges from her box are junk mail fliers and the inevitable bills for health insurance and her phone.  Though rarely is there anything interesting  in her mailbox, she continues to hope and this is where the Valentine Conspiracy comes in.  I have contacted almost all her family members, by phone and email, suggesting that we all send her a valentine this year…independently and “spontaneously” spread over the entire week…even going into next week.  It doesn’t matter if they arrive late; what matters is that they arrive.

So far the response has been wonderful.  Everyone says they will send her one.  This could amount to a dozen or more valentines arriving in her mailbox.  When she wasn’t really expecting anything.   I hope she smiles as she opens them, smiles as she reads them, and smiles later on when she sees them piled beside her chair.  Such a simple thing, so easy to generate a smile, so important to take that bit of time to make it happen.

So of course my message is that everyone can take a moment and look around.  Is there someone you know and love who might be having a difficult time with the long winter?  Who is a bit lonley?  Perhaps home bound?  Who feels perhaps that there isn’t much to look forward too?  Doesn’t matter how old or young they are; if you know someone that could use a lift, send a valentine this week.

It’s only Tuesday, there’s plenty of time.