Beyond Candy and Flowers on Valentine’s Day

As I do just about every day, I rolled out of bed this morning shortly before sunrise, took my dogs out, threw back a cup of strong coffee, took five minutes to read the newspaper, and then scrolled through the social media and news feeds on my phone. With the added pressure of Valentine’s Day intensified through Facebook and Instagram, I decided to try to rise to the occasion and post a sweet picture of my wife and me walking arm in arm on a recent trip.

Shortly after that, I arrived at work and my colleagues hit me with awesome candy and gifts celebrating the day. Yay, Team Shoestring! After diving into the candy and wrestling with the classic Snickers vs. Hershey’s dilemma, I started to reflect on how we at Shoestring apply the somewhat nebulous but always powerful concept of love, since love, or at least its commodified form, was part of the reason I was eating chocolate before 9 a.m.

Love takes a host of forms, of course. There’s the romantic kind of love that we celebrate and spend too much money on for Valentine’s Day. There’s the family kind, which tends to be strong, frustrating and complicated all at once. And there’s the kind of love that’s fundamental to many of our faith traditions. It’s that kind of love, and faith, that shapes what we do every day at Operation Shoestring. From creating safe places for kids to standing with parents during devastating unforeseen crises. From pushing back against racism and fear to holding a child’s hand after she falls on the playground and scrapes her knee. From helping people use their privilege to make a more just world to encourage others to overcome enormous challenges to realize their dreams.

This is the kind of love that Shoestring’s work is about. And the faith you have in us to do that work in a way that honors those who founded the organization more than half a century ago is at once humbling and motivating.

I feel privileged to see the seeds of love that we have sown over the years in the faces of the kids and families we serve, and through the actions of our board, staff and supporters who make our afterschool, summer and parent programs possible.

Today, as you’re wondering if you’ve done enough card, chocolate or flower work to pass muster for Valentine’s Day, just know that you’re doing vital work to operationalize love for more than just a handful of folks today by being part a part of the Operation Shoestring family serving kids, families and your community. Thank you for that Valentine gift showing love all year long.