Lonely on Valentine’s Day?

"Did Daddy give you those roses?" asked Chloe. Mom smiled. "They smell so good. He never forgets Valentine's Day. He took some daisies and some cookies over to Grandma too. She may feel lonely today." "Why would she feel lonely on Valentine's Day? It's so much fun--and delicious!" "Well, Grandpa always gave her flowers on special days. That made her feel loved. Now that Grandpa has passed away, we want Grandma to know she's still loved. Actually, many people feel lonely on Valentine's Day." Chloe seemed puzzled, so Mom explained. "People like Grandma who have lost a loved one may feel sad and lonely on Valentine's Day, or someone whose spouse is away in the military, or a single person who hoped to get married but didn't." Chloe was still thinking about that while she waited for her friend Laura to arrive. In Sunday school, she'd learned that the Bible says to "bear one another's burdens." Mom and Dad were helping lift Grandma's burden of loneliness by showing her she was valued. Chloe prayed, Lord, please show me how to help someone feel valued today.She and Laura had planned to go to the movies. But Chloe had a plan. "My mom said that some people are sad on Valentine's Day, like Mrs. Holt across the street," she told Laura. "Her husband died last summer. He used to come over here and Dad would help him pick bouquets of wildflowers for his wife from our backyard garden. She probably misses that. What if, instead of going to the movies today, we made her a bouquet?" Laura loved that idea. "I have some red ribbons we could tie it with to make it fancy. Hey, what about Miss Whitman, the cafeteria lady? I bet she'd love some flowers. Who else?" "Let's make a list," said Chloe.By that afternoon, the girls had made and delivered bouquets to six people, who all seemed pleased to be remembered. Then the girls took several bouquets to the senior center to brighten up their dinner tables. When Chloe's dad heard about it, he beamed. "You two gave up your own plans to bring smiles to a lot of people today. Well done, girls." –Teresa Ambord