On this Valentine’s Day, I remember ALL of the people I love and those who have brought love to my life.I love my Mom more than words and I’m blessed to love and be loved by Tim, Kim and Kendal and many others too.
Tim and I text daily while we’re working and end each text with “love you”, and this week I sent a text to Kim that said “I just want you to know I love you”. You never know when your last day on this earth will be, so I believe you can never say “I love you” enough. We end every visit and conversation with Kendal, with “I love you” and now that she can say it back, it lifts us up, no matter what’s going on in our lives!!
This week, I’ve shared a lot of love with my friends too. I spoke at length by phone to Linda and to Kris, the women who have been a part of my life for more than 25 years. Our conversations and laughter were as real as it gets, and they lifted me up!
I also spent a lot of time with Mom this week. We talked about plans for her 86th birthday coming up next week, a date she proudly remembers. “I was born on February 18th, 1929!” she proclaimed repeatedly during our visits. I asked her what kind of birthday cake she wanted and her response was “any cake”!
Then as I prepared to leave, I said “I love you Mom”. All of a sudden her smile faded and she looked afraid. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but then she said, “I don’t know the words!” and was near tears. She’s never said that before, but I realized she didn’t remember what to say to me in response. My heart sank and I went over to her and held her hands. “It’s ok” I reassured her, “I remember that you love me”. Mom said “OK, you remember” and without even taking a breath she added “Can I have my cake?”. I wasn’t upset at all that she remembered how to ask for cake and but not how to say she loved me. I wasn’t upset because her smile was back and we laughed and hugged with such joy.
In that moment, I felt as if I had lifted Mom up, just as she had done so many times for me. I decided that in addition to Happy Birthday” on her cake next week I’m also going to add “I love you” just so she can know it for that moment.
On this Valentine’s Day, lift someone up by telling or showing them how much you love them. And it’s ok if they can’t say it back.
Conquering Life; Love and Dialogue with Loretta Veney 
Dear Loretta! Thank you for such a heart-warming reminder and the true stories you tell about your life & those with whom you share this walk on Earth. I’m so thankful to know you – and to say I love you ❤️ Have a beautiful day, my sister
Sent from my iPhone Jan Lipscomb
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Thanks Jan!!!! I love you too!!! And so glad you’re in my life!
Yep, this is quite the walk….. It’s amazing to watch Kendal learn words and my Mom forget them all in the same time period!
Loretta you have made statements that really touched my heart. What a special day we are having is made because we love each other so much. I love you more than words can ever describe. So let me end with I’m so proud of you and all your accomplishments. I truly love you.
Tim, I don’t know where I’d be on this journey without you!!!! You’ve been there every step of the way for every accomplishment and every disappointment too!! We’re an awesome team!! Happy 30 years of Valentine’s Days together, and here’s to hopefully 30 more!! I love you too!!!
Thank you, Loretta, for your sharing such beautiful remembrances and reflections. Your exchange with Doris reminds me that love is more than an emotion, for it is benevolent action enfleshed in word and deed. So you demonstrated so wondrously in giving to your mother when she was unable to give to you. Painful, yes, for you. Powerful for both of you. And poignant, again as a deep reminder, for me. Thank you
It’s been quite the week of highs and lows Paul. And YEP you and I have shared a lot of the same emotions about our Moms. My Mom was always a woman of her word and also her deeds!! So, I certainly can do the same for her. It was powerful and I’m Happy that our visit ended with big smiles. Thanks!
There are SOOOO many things that I love about this post! Watching you and Daddy grow closer in love everyday is amazing to me and seeing my Dad TRULY in his soul happy and at peace is one of the greatest things ever! I FEEL the peace and I am energized and hopeful!
Hearing YOU say I Love You and I’m proud of you is the GREATEST gift I, as an adult child can receive!
As I experience some not so fun things in life, you are right that ‘I LOVE YOU’ takes on a whole new meaning’ . Kendie says it at will and often gets followed by a kissie. EVERYTIME she does that, my heart is a flutter and my soul is just overflowed.
For another in my life, everytime I hear I Love You, I wonder if it will be tbe last. God amazingly has a way of balancing out love. And, I know that love, is eternal.
It is truly amazing that Kendal is taking on new words while her Great Grandmother is not remembering them. Not long ago, Kendal too, did not have the words to express her feelings, but I could always see it in her smile and eyes, feel it in her hugs and experience it in her jubilence. Not that long ago, dropping her off was a different level of love as she never wanted to leave my side. NOW it’s BYE, MOMMY and off she goes, but she leaves me trusting and knowing that I will be back at the end of the day…LOVE AND remembering that Iove her and will always be there!
THANK YOU, MORE THAN WORDS for making us part of this post!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
Thanks Kim!! Love really is eternal. As long as we continue to show, by word AND deed that we love each other… even when our life is ending or is over, we know that we’ve left no doubt of how the other feels. It’s why I firmly believe that you never utter words you can’t take back, OR leave the presence of another person in anger, because you never know if you will have the chance to apologize.
Watching both you and Kendal grow in different ways is amazing and fills me with love and pride. I pray that I have many more opportunities to savor and enjoy. This photo of you and Kendal says to me that you’ll always have her back. Though you can’t see her face, her reaching for the ceiling says that she has no doubt that you’ll never let her down. If that doesn’t say I love you, I don’t know what would. From your view, your smile in lifting Kendal up says that she’s changed your life and that you live to hold her up.
I love the words I’ve shared with you and Kendal, and those that are left to come…. I’ll treasure them. I love the words, and smiles and hugs that Tim and I share, and our lives are an absolute adventure.
The love between my Mom and I is no longer about words, and as you pointed out, we have smiles and hugs to replace the words. It’s the coolest thing ever, and I’m happy for whatever mechanism I have to illustrate love.
Ret, I love when we have our chats. Many people may lift you up but you lift us ALL up. You are the most upbeat, fabulous person I know. I am proud to call you my Sister and am always grateful that you are in my life and the life of my entire family. You are so good with your Mom, with your blogs you teach us all how to be more patient and loving. Thank you so much for being my Sister and my bestest! I love you!! ❤
Love you too!! Always!!! We may have different moms but we will always be sisters!! I’ve always tried to be upbeat so I’m thrilled that it does come across in my interactions with those I love! My patience, I always say is a work in progress, but I’m ecstatic that I can always guide and encourage my mom without raising my voice. Thanks for always being there and lifting me up!! We still have many more miles to go in our lives- so I’m glad we will be walking those miles together!!