Hello Tribe,

My dear friend C.J. sent this to me. Oh, to be so honestly giving!!!! 

….He was a shy little boy, not very popular with the other children in the first grade, as Valentine's Day approached his mother was delightful when he asked her one evening to to sit down and help him write down all of the names of all the children in his class so that he could make a Valentine for each. Slowly he remembered each name aloud, and his mother wrote them down on a piece of paper. He worried endlessly for fear that he would forget someone. Armed with a book of Valentines to cut out, scissors, crayons and paste, he plodded his consciencientious way down the list. When each one was finished, his mother printed the name on a piece of paper and watched him laboriously copy it. As the pile of finished Valentine's grew, so did his satisfaction. About this time, his mother began to worry whether the other children would make a Valentine for him. He hurried home so fast each afternoon to get on with his task, that it seemed likely the other children playing on the street would forget his existence all together. How absolutely horrible if he went off to the party armed with 31 tokens of love….and no had remembered him! She wondered if there were some way she could sneak in a few Valentines among those he was making so that he would be sure of receiving at least a few. But he watched his hoard so jealously, and counted over them so lovingly that there was no chance of slipping in an extra. She assumed a mother's most normal role, that of patient waiting. The day of the Valentine box finally arrived, and she watched him trudge of down the rainy street, a box of heart shaped cookies in one hand that he asked her to help him make the evening before and a shopping bag clutched in the other with 31 neat tokens of his labor. She watched him with a burning heart. "Please God", she prayed, "let him get at least a few!" All afternoon her hands were busy here and there, but her heart was at the school. At half past three she took a book and sat down in a chair looking down the street. Finally she was him coming around the corner, alone. Her heart sank. Around the corner he came and walking up the street, turning every once in a while to look back behind him. It wasn't until he appeared in the front yard that she saw it…the one Valentine clutched in his little hand, only one!…after all his work…and from the teacher most likely. The book blurred before her eyes. If only you could stand between your child and life!, she laid down her book and went to open to open the door to greet him. "What rosy cheeks" she said, "Here, let me take off your coat, where the cookies good?" she further said trying to hold back the tears awaiting his response. He turned towards her with a face shining of happiness and one of complete fullfillment. "Do you know what?" he said, " I didn't forget one, not a single one!". May we all be a bit more like the little boy and be kind to others without any expectation of anything in return and also let us remember the ones we love….not only on Valentines Day but everyday. Thank you and Happy Valentines Day, Love,  C.J. P.S….Mom the cookies were good….thank you! 

Peace and Lots of Love,

Demi