To the Ones I Love

My husband knows just what this woman likes for Valentine's Day. No, I don't need a big bouquet of roses, no diamonds for this gal, chocolate - well, he went by my favorite local company and brought home truffles for all of us. But he knows what I really like. Like when he calls home and says "I noticed it was sunny outside and I have a few hours off. Why don't you get your bike ready and you can go for a ride before it gets dark." He knows how to get our kids to the right place on a course to give me a boost of cheering and enthusiasm right when I need it most. He has even learned to operate a camera in a reasonable manner and get some great shots along the way. He stands behind my dreams and aspirations, finds a way to make them happen. He was the one person who knew my dream was the Ironman, years before I would reveal that to anyone else.
My kids are the most awesome little things on the planet. Their smiles could carry me through anything, and they somehow never stop believing I can walk on water, even after they've seen me at my best and worst. They're willing to support me in my goals, just as I support and help them achieve theirs.

And I just spent this weekend visiting with both of my parents. Sometimes it really strikes me just how much I owe them, both what I learned from them and what I inherited from them. They're both such go-getters, dreamers, hard-workers, people who get enthusiastic about life and the endless possibilities it offers. My mom has done a half-marathon with me, she kayaks and walks and is never afraid to try new things. In the first throes of retirement, she's already got two trips planned and a host of activities lined up. My dad has an easy smile and a big laugh, I inherited my love of flying from him and probably a big sense of adventure (not to mention thrill-seeking - my dad took me on my first flight and gave me my first motorcycle). Both of my parents have gone skydiving with me. They're young at heart and still so youthful that I can't believe they're in their 60s and 70s already.
We're not big on Hallmark Holidays in our house, not a lot of fuss goes on with cards and presents and big boxes of chocolates. But where it counts, in our hearts, it's Valentines Day every day.