Tonight I send my love out to you. You the Grandma who sleeps with a baby monitor on her nightstand to hear each breath, possible cough or cry of the grandchild she’s raising. To you the Grandpa who gives up a romantic dinner with grandma to attend the “Daddy” Daughter dance with his granddaughter. To you the Pre-School, Pre-K, Headstart, Great Start Readiness Program Teacher who manages 16 children with unconditional love for each one, even the boy who closes his eyes, shakes his fists and yells, a lot. To you the Mom, the Dad, who see magic and promise in the eyes of their autistic 17 year old son. To you the Certified Nurses Aid who gently washes and dries the hair of the 86 year old grandmother who has decided to stop fighting the cancer trying to overtake her body. To you the Bus Driver who really sees every child climbing the steps up and onto the bus and smiles a greeting of all is well. To you the Dog Owner who takes his rescue dog out to pee, again, despite the -15 windchill, but only showers his dog with love and understanding. To you the Auntie who is raising her 3 nieces and nephews so they know true, family love and never know the heartbreak of being separated in a system. To you the Uber Driver who walks his elderly passenger to her door helping to steady her walker along the way. To you the Maintenance Man who patiently cleans up the flooded apartment of a senior resident who left the faucet running and the sink plugged after finishing dishes. To you the Cashier at the grocery store who smiles at each person in his line as if they were the first and the most important despite being near the end of a 12 hour shift. To you the Hospice Volunteer who sat next to the mother in a coma as her daughter ran home to quickly shower, playing her guitar and singing softly. To you the Teenage Girl who gives her time every Saturday at the animal shelter to spend time with cats so they can be out of their kennels, play and feel loved. To you the Snowplow Driver who honks his horn for the 4 year old boy waving as he clears the road. To you Every Neighbor who shows up at the spaghetti dinner fundraiser and silent auction to raise funds to pay the hospital bills the retired fire chief accumulated when he had his heart attack. To you the Husband who makes the bed just because he knows his wife likes the bed made and he loves her. To you the Mom who works 2 jobs so her children have food, clothes, a home and a future they can choose. To you the Court Appointed Special Advocate who volunteers her time to make sure a child has voice in a hearing to terminate his parent’s rights. To you the Dad who shelves his career dreams to stay home to raise his baby daughter. To YOU ALL of You Caregivers in the World. You are my heroes and all of my Valentine love goes to you. Please rest easy tonight, eat the last cookie, and take a look in the mirror and recognize the hero you are. Thank you.
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