Love Is Something If You Give It Away

There is an old song that goes, "Love is something if you give it away… you'll end up having more." This blog post is about "love" given away on Valentine's Day in Wrangell, Alaska.

Here's the story: Suzie B., head cook at Wrangell Medical Center, saw a photo of my Valentine brooches and an idea came to mind. She thought it would be a cheery surprise for the 18 longer term care patients at the center to receive heart pins for Valentine's Day. She went to Jane B., who heads up the center's support services, with her idea. Jane embraced it and they went in together on the purchase of the brooches. 

Once contacted, I selected the brooches and attached them on individual cards which I mounted on a covered piece of cardboard made to fit perfectly into a special box. The other two brooches were wrapped in tissue and placed loosely in the box with the others. Off the box went to Wrangell in plenty of time for the intended Valentine surprise. Above: This is the photo of 16 of the brooches as they appeared mounted on the display cardboard. Strips of gauze-type ribbon kept the cards and pins in place.


The day before Valentine's Day, Suzie and Jane took the pins to the center's day room and handed them out. Suzie says, "They were so happy and thrilled to receive them and wanted them pinned on." Sixteen of the recipients were women and two were men. One of the men opted to look at his rather than have it pinned on but everyone else proudly and happily wore and displayed their special Valentine brooches. 


Suzie shares, "It was a wonderful feeling to give these seniors little gifts that brought them joy." 


Now we have come full circle, back to the song, "Love Is Something If You Give It Away." Referring to love, another part of the song goes: It's just like a magic penny—hold it tight and you won't have any but lend it, spend it, and you'll have so many, they'll roll all over the floor. So, while Suzie and Jane were giving love away on this Valentine's Day, they got back so much more. In return they received back grateful expressions of thanks and big smiles, which are apparent in the first photo of four of the wonderful ladies wearing their pins and whose happy faces say it all.


Thanks Suzie and Jane for sharing your story but mostly for sharing your love to 18 seniors you care about. The Wrangell Medical Center must be a wonderful place with happy residents who are fortunate to have such a caring staff. Now you've spread the love and joy to the rest of us. Thanks!


And here's a little extra note from Suzie, "We girls in the kitchen just loved the pins and wish we had ordered ones for ourselves, too!" 


Ed note: You can see more photos of Valentine brooches and a little about them in the post below this one.