United Thank Offering

Happy Love Day

February 3, 2025
United Thank Offering

By Heather Melton, UTO Staff Officer

This past weekend, my daughter and I were in the checkout at Trader Joe’s and our helper was excited to see all the Valentine’s Day finds we had in our cart. It turns out that Jesse’s favorite color is pink (like their amazing Converse high-tops that my kiddo now wants), just like my daughter’s. The two of them talked about how much they like Valentine’s Day because it celebrates the color pink. We talked about how cheerful the colors are and how happy all of the hearts can be. It was fun to be a part of an intergenerational discussion about Valentine’s Day, and it got me thinking about how complicated and lovely this holiday can be.

When my kids were little, they loved the show “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” which was an animated show following in the footsteps of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” but following Daniel Tiger’s son, Daniel, as he grows up in the Land of Make-Believe. Turns out, holidays are similar but different in the Land of Make-Believe. They don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but Happy Love Day. While I don’t remember all of the details of the episode, what I loved about Happy Love Day is that the focus was not on romance, like Valentine’s Day, but was simply about making sure all of the people in the community know they are loved. The kids share how they say, “I love you,” which is through hugs, songs, art, and dance. In another episode, Daniel makes a scavenger hunt of hearts for his grandfather to show how much he loves him. Ever since I first watched this episode, I thought this is a much better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. What if we made the day about finding ways to show people they are loved?

Valentine’s Day is not a holiday without baggage. The holiday can be hard for those who have experienced domestic violence, sad for those who have lost someone they love, lonely for some, anxiety-producing for others, and delightful for others. What I loved about Daniel Tiger, and the conversation at Trader Joe’s, is that Valentine’s Day was about delight, joy, and helping everyone feel loved. I began to wonder what that might look like in my own life. What if Valentine’s Day was about making sure folks feel loved and valued instead of fancy dinners and overpriced flowers? I’m getting curious about ways I can make Valentine’s Day more like Happy Love Day. So even though it is January and freezing cold, I decided to start planning some things for Valentine’s Day. So far, I’m hosting a party for our bus stop kiddos, and I’m working on Valentine’s for the adults at the bus stop. One of the ways I say “I love you” is by feeding people, so I’m going to be baking up a storm. The other way I show love is through gratitude, so I’m going to make sure I stay present from now until Valentine’s Day when I’m out in the world and find ways to share love and gratitude with others. 

Regardless of how you feel about Valentine’s Day, I hope you’ll help me infuse it with gratitude and love by finding your own way to say “I love you” to those around you—family, friends, neighbors, and those you encounter when you’re out in your community. I hope you’ll share with me how you’re making Valentine’s Day special in your community, and in case I don’t talk to you before the 14th—thanks for being you, and for being a part of UTO, and I hope you know how loved you are by this community of gratitude-practitioners for simply being you.

Contact:
The Rev. Cn.
Heather Melton

Staff Officer for the United Thank Offering

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