It all started years ago with me. One of my very favorite, vivid memories of my childhood was when I was in second grade and my Mom helped me to make my very first Valentine box for school. To this day I can remember each intricate detail of that box from it’s tin foil cover to it’s red pieces of ribbon stolen from the sewing box and better yet all the red cut out hearts. I was as proud as a peacock to be carrying that box under my arm into that school house. I was big stuff or that’s how it made me feel!

Next big impressive memory was a school trip I took at age 11.

When I was 11 years old I traveled to the Hermitage in Nashville on a school trip. I am a super big history person and that visit was one of the cornerstone markers that helped me to set the standard for my life. I made a vow as that 11 year old girl to be like Rachel Jackson and to work, doctor, and help all my neighbors, friends, and anyone that was in pain.

This morning I write this from my bed in Hermitage, Tennessee at my son’s house. Every time I travel here and get off the Hermitage exit, my mind instantly travels back to my 11 year old vow. I think it is so cool that at age 62 God has brought me full circle.

My children think the reason I make those treks to the Hermitage is because of Andrew Jackson but what they never realized was that it was Rachel Jackson that I modeled my life after all those years ago.

The first time I visited the Hermitage they used to have all of these correspondence letters on display between Andrew and Rachel. I stood there and read a lot of them. They had a deep rooted love for each other and it was very evident in the words that they wrote. Andrew was gone much of the time and Rachel tended to all the affairs of the home and the community. She had a servant’s heart and that is what I have always loved about her.

My Valentine’s Day this year will be spent taking care of my little Pace and Bri and sharing my old lady self with them and making this day as special as it was for me years ago. I love to see the little ones soak in the love of passing out those Valentine’s to their friends and sharing their little treats! Pace received this yesterday from Ellie:

Is this not the sweetest thing!

Like the Bible says, The greatest of these is Love!

Be kind this Valentine Day, cherish your family, make smiles where you can and instead of expecting, just concentrate on giving for it is much more rewarding!

In doing those things you will Be My Valentines❤️