love is lovie love love

So this is an old photo of me and Brian but it is one of my favorites. Why? Well, as you can tell it was hard to contain my happiness and it was all but streaming out of my pores. I should have had one of those religious painting halos around my head or golden rays of sunshine or some other estatic special effect. I have to say it makes me giddy to feel my lover's arm around me or to have his hand in mine as we walk along. It makes you feel safe and also special because it's like everyone knows that you have someone who is crazy about you and that they are proud that you are their gal. Makes me feel shiny. And doesn't he have the best smile?

Didn't see much of that growing up so I'm sure that's why it is so important to me now.
In fact, it made me think of this girl I knew when I was younger. I remember meeting her parents at a party once and being amazed at how much in love they were. They were much older than my parents, but they were always smiling and winking and joking with each other. And I don't think I'd ever seen adults hold hands so much. At one point in the evening the dad was offering advice to all of us girls about the type of men we should accept into our lives.
In his thick italian accent he said, "If a man's wife is no happy, then he is no happy. Because if she is always smiling, already his life is better! If he no listen to you, if he do this ( and he made knob turning motions at his ears to indicate tuning out like a radio) you no want him. A woman always talks from her heart, and the man gotta protect her heart! It's my job to help my girls whatever they want. She say, "honey, can you.." and I say "Of course!"
At the time we all were giggling about his demonstative way of speaking and his kissy face ways...we thought "whoa! I guess old people still do it and junk... ewwww!
I hadn't thought about that couple in a decade. But, I was over at my friend Kristina's house the other night for dinner and we were talking about being anxious to start some seeds germinating indoors (and how it's better to have a lightsource that you can raise and lower like the platform in Frankenstein). And so her husband Ron says "Just tell me where you want it and how much space you need and I'll build it." He was doing exactly what my friend's dad had been talking about. And Kris, who had a great smile, smiled really big and Ron got a bunch of kisses and the love was palpable.

So, be a valentine everyday. Pay attention to your friends and lovers and parents and creatures around you. Take note of what makes them feel loved or what they need and help them do that thing.