How to Enjoy a Prairie Valentine’s Day
Part 3 - Message of Good and Hope
By Karilea Rilling Jungel
On
memorable days, such as Valentine’s Day or other important holidays, tragedy
can strike. How we come to deal with tragedies is one of the gifts that life
gives us – and for some people, strength comes from tendering memories so that
others may be encouraged, in order to deal with their own setbacks.
Martie Odell-Ingebretsen of California lost a child nearly four decades ago when her young daughter Michelle “got sick with the mumps on Valentine’s Day and was fed aspirin, which led to Reye's syndrome.” Michelle succumbed a few days later. Because of her passing, Martie’s grief is sweetly pungent not only on Michelle’s special days, but also Valentine’s Day. Martie has made a goal of taking the lives, births and losses of every day by making them special with a touch of Michelle in order to pass along the love. Martie worked in a florist shop for several years…and saw moments like this:
The Changing of the Card
Nodding my head, I listen
across the counter
to the catch in her voice.
I don’t know what to say,
she says, when I ask,
my hand poised above the order form
waiting to write her sigh.
A middle aged man jingles his keys
and walks nervously around the shop
looking at the ground
before he orders roses for someone,
someone named Carol or Barbara.
He is stopped cold when I ask,
what would you like to say on the card.
Oh, he was so in love that his cheeks pinked
and eyes glowed.
 |
| Photo by Martie Odell-Ingebretsen |
Sometimes a flower
is used as a quick fix
to get out of the doghouse
back onto the couch
with slippers and dinner tray.
It’s true, flowers say a lot
without a person even writing anything,
but, there is nothing like words,
said out loud,
written,
shouted,
words like, I love you,
or just, love.
Words like, I’m sorry.
What about, you are more beautiful
than this flower?
For quite some time now
I have had the urge to change
just one word in a message.
No, to be truthful,
I’ve had the urge to change the whole message
just to see
if it would change a life,
but, I haven’t.
Not yet anyway.
But it was this message that brings the meaning
of true love home in kind and full form:
“I will start Valentine’s Day like I do every
day. Thanking my GOD for his blessings. Our youngest daughter was just in a
plane crash and she survived thanks to GOD! I am still very shook up but so
grateful. Our family is about as close as it can be so Valentine’s Day is
really just another day as we express our love for each other as often as
possible.”
Chuck Robb – Salina, Kansas.
Valentine’s Day: A day to show your love – a
day to give gifts, but isn’t every day just that? Do your best. But you might want
to keep it in your heart every day. If we all did just this…it could very well
be that butterfly affect we all hear about during storms.
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