Like it was for me, I can imagine that 2020 was a surreal year for most of you. Now that we are in 2021, I know that I will be more appreciative of the love, people, and kindness surrounding me this Valentine’s Day. For the majority of people, Valentine’s Day is a day to show the people you are close to how much you love them and how much you care about them. This is typically done with cards, gifts, and spending a lot of money. Whenever I think about that, I always try to remember the following quote:

“The best things in life aren’t things.” – Art Buchwald

That quote is short but so powerful! It is extremely important to remember what really matters in life. Being unable to see everyone that I love due to the pandemic and distance, in general, has made me realize that just telling someone how much you love them and care about them can make a world of difference for someone, which I have experienced firsthand.

When my mom turned 70 at the end of December, I would have loved to organize a big party for her, but due to the pandemic, this was, of course, not an option. Knowing my mom and the kind soul she has, I knew that there would be many people who are close to her who would want to make this birthday memorable for her. A couple family members and I asked the people closest to her to record a short video to send her love and birthday wishes.

After just a week, we ended up with 44 clips from people all over the world. The night of my mom’s birthday, we showed this to her, and from the start, she was very emotional and had tears of joy rolling down her face. I can imagine that it felt like being covered in a warm blanket of love in these difficult and strange times. A small kind gesture such as that can mean so much! She was so touched and could not believe that this was all for her. The moment she said that I realized something and told her the following straightaway: When you show so much kindness and care to people as you have for so long without any second thoughts or hesitation, you will receive back that kindness and care from people as you did now.

I often express to the people in my life how much I appreciate and love them, not just on Valentine’s Day, but since it is coming up.I would love for everyone to remind themselves on February 14th what really matters and how much of those are intangible. Use this holiday to tell the people in your life what they mean to you and how grateful you are to have them in your life. Kindness, love, and care can help brighten someone’s day, week, month, or year. No money can ever buy that!