February, to me, is the month that I begin to pivot to spring, believe it or not.
It is the month where I can see light at the end of the winter tunnel. As you can tell, I am not the biggest fan of cold, snow, and darkness, despite growing up in New England. What I can tell you is February is also filled with lots of “light” that keeps my mind from focusing on the cold and darkness.
Many think of February 14th as Valentine’s Day, a day filled with candy, flowers, and gifts exchanged between friends and loved ones.
That is how I traditionally celebrated the holiday growing up, as well as when my boys were young. It was just what we did; purchase their favorite Valentine candy and cards to deliver to friends at school. As I have grown older, I have come to see February 14th as a day that I spend letting those around me know how much I care for and love them.
I have so many more things to celebrate on February 14th, one being the birthday of my son’s puppy, Piper. She is an energetic Aussiedoodle who is so cute and loving.
Piper was a wedding gift to my son from his new wife, which makes her even more special.
Did you know that February 14th is also International Book Giving Day? It is a day meant for giving books to friends and family, while also getting books in the hands of as many children as possible, especially those who are in need. This special day even has its own hashtag, #BookGivingDay.
You can also gift used books, which achieves the same purpose but is a double giving opportunity. I frequently buy used books from Better World Books, because for every book I buy, they donate a book to various organizations. This is also a much more sustainable option since the books have already been produced and the giving is community-driven.