I love February, don’t you? It’s not only the shortest month of the year but it’s an entire month laser-focused on matters of the heart! From day one, February celebrates Heart Awareness, Heart Health and even a National Day to Wear Red for Women’s hearts. Then, on February 2, Groundhog Day slips into our calendars, but that excitement is gone in a heartbeat, completely overshadowed by hearts and flowers announcing Valentine’s Day is coming!
On a recent trip to a neighborhood bookstore, I saw two special gift sections for Valentine’s Day. The first table displayed everything-you-want-or-need-to-know about the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz! (By the way, did you know that movie is 80 years old this year? I know!!) That table included books, DVD’s, posters and plaster statues of Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and of course, Cowardly Lion.
The second display table had books galore along with greeting cards, plaques, calendars, journals, everything you can possibly imagine with the word HEART on it! My favorite was a wall plaque with the words, ‘A Heart Full Of Courage’. I smiled because I realized how perfect that sign was for two of the Oz characters on the other table, Tin Man, who wanted. . .no absolutely needed a heart! And Cowardly Lion, who cried daily for some courage. So, I decided to google just what heart and courage have in common for Valentine’s Day. Here’s what I discovered!
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“COURAGE is a heart-word! The root of the word, courage is Cor - the Latin word for heart. Speaking from our hearts is what I think of as ‘ordinary courage’!
Bre`ne Brown
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Life on the yellow brick road was Dorothy’s dream-adventure, but everyone she met along the way gave heart, purpose and courage to her journey. Even the Wicked Witch and the ‘fake news’ Wizard taught Dorothy patience, confidence and kindness, especially during some tough situations! Thankfully, Dorothy didn’t have to do life in Oz alone. She had amazing, loyal friends to love and lean on!
Life is so daily for each of us and not always a dream, technicolor adventure! We meet thousands of people in a lifetime, and ultimately will love and lose many of those people. Our life expectations and dreams may change or fail us through the years, as well as what we ‘must have’ or acquire to be successful. Valentine’s Day can be a tough holiday for anyone who has experienced recent major loss, the death of a spouse or the heartbreak of divorce. Grieving is a normal and natural response to our losses.
Well, I ended up buying Valentines for my family and friends. Most of them say, ‘I Love You!’, and some even include Dairy Queen and Amazon gift cards! But, just in case Hallmark is reading this, here’s my Valentine suggestion for 2020 under the section of Broken Hearts/Love and Loss. . . .
I am so sorry for your losses this year! I can’t imagine the heartbreak and sorrow you have been through. But please know, I SO admire your heart full of courage!
On a recent trip to a neighborhood bookstore, I saw two special gift sections for Valentine’s Day. The first table displayed everything-you-want-or-need-to-know about the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz! (By the way, did you know that movie is 80 years old this year? I know!!) That table included books, DVD’s, posters and plaster statues of Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and of course, Cowardly Lion.
The second display table had books galore along with greeting cards, plaques, calendars, journals, everything you can possibly imagine with the word HEART on it! My favorite was a wall plaque with the words, ‘A Heart Full Of Courage’. I smiled because I realized how perfect that sign was for two of the Oz characters on the other table, Tin Man, who wanted. . .no absolutely needed a heart! And Cowardly Lion, who cried daily for some courage. So, I decided to google just what heart and courage have in common for Valentine’s Day. Here’s what I discovered!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“COURAGE is a heart-word! The root of the word, courage is Cor - the Latin word for heart. Speaking from our hearts is what I think of as ‘ordinary courage’!
Bre`ne Brown
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life on the yellow brick road was Dorothy’s dream-adventure, but everyone she met along the way gave heart, purpose and courage to her journey. Even the Wicked Witch and the ‘fake news’ Wizard taught Dorothy patience, confidence and kindness, especially during some tough situations! Thankfully, Dorothy didn’t have to do life in Oz alone. She had amazing, loyal friends to love and lean on!
Life is so daily for each of us and not always a dream, technicolor adventure! We meet thousands of people in a lifetime, and ultimately will love and lose many of those people. Our life expectations and dreams may change or fail us through the years, as well as what we ‘must have’ or acquire to be successful. Valentine’s Day can be a tough holiday for anyone who has experienced recent major loss, the death of a spouse or the heartbreak of divorce. Grieving is a normal and natural response to our losses.
Well, I ended up buying Valentines for my family and friends. Most of them say, ‘I Love You!’, and some even include Dairy Queen and Amazon gift cards! But, just in case Hallmark is reading this, here’s my Valentine suggestion for 2020 under the section of Broken Hearts/Love and Loss. . . .
I am so sorry for your losses this year! I can’t imagine the heartbreak and sorrow you have been through. But please know, I SO admire your heart full of courage!

Linda McLaughlin May
Certified Grief Recovery Specialist
THE GRIEF & WELLNESS GROUP, INC
LindaMc4004@gmail.com
www.GriefTheThief.com
Linda brings her 'passion for people,' as well as a desire to see lives changed to The Grief and Wellness Group. After 30 years in business, including marketing and radio, Linda's personal Grief Recovery journey led her to take a career shift, in order to help people take necessary action to recover from their loss. Whether you choose an Outreach Group or One-On-One sessions, Linda says, "Don't delay; I want to meet you personally; Let's get started!
Certified Grief Recovery Specialist
THE GRIEF & WELLNESS GROUP, INC
LindaMc4004@gmail.com
www.GriefTheThief.com
Linda brings her 'passion for people,' as well as a desire to see lives changed to The Grief and Wellness Group. After 30 years in business, including marketing and radio, Linda's personal Grief Recovery journey led her to take a career shift, in order to help people take necessary action to recover from their loss. Whether you choose an Outreach Group or One-On-One sessions, Linda says, "Don't delay; I want to meet you personally; Let's get started!